Back From the Future
by Mercury's Winter
Summary: Purple Trance returns, and she's ticked off! Chapter 14! That makes this story *COMPLETE* Woo-hoo! come read the end!
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Back From the Future (ew...I hate the title, will gladly take suggestions)  
  
AUTHOR: Mercury's Winter  
  
RATING: PG-13  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Andromeda or any of its Characters. This is purely for fun. *Emptys pockets* See? No profit here!  
  
ARCHIVE: Yes, please, just drop me a line and let me know where.  
  
SUMMARY: Purple Trance comes back from the future and boy is she ticked off!  
  
SPOILERS: Anything in Season II, especially Ouroboros  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My first foray into fanfiction. This started as a one sentence challenge and a muse jumped up and bit me. WIP btw. Please Read and Review  
  
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"There is no future but that which we create."  
Anonymous  
  
Purple Trance glared at Gold Trance, in her eyes flaming galaxeys spun vortexes of hate, "You lied to me, I didn't make any mistakes, you stole my life and my friends and I want them back NOW"  
  
Harper watched the exchange with mouth agape. Five minutes previously he had been in machine shop 17, proudly showing Trance the modificaitons he had made to the ship's internal defenses. In the exact middle of his boasting, a strange blue light filled the room. It reminded him of the tesseract fields that saved his life and condemned Hohne. Out of the blinding blue emerged a figure, unseen on Andromeda for 7 months. He and Trance remained transfixed as the light faded and winked out. There before them was Trance in all her purple glory. Her hair was longer than Harper remembered, with dazzling streaks of auburn that flowed around her shoulders like a blazing sunrise. She was dressed in a Highguard uniform of all things, the black and maroon leather torn and stained with blood.   
  
Gold Trance stared back with a hate so cold Harper swore he could see his breath. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here." She rasped through tightly clenched teeth. It was not a question and Harper could see her quaking with rage.   
  
"I have returned to put a stop to your lies and save my friends, my family." Purple Trance noticed Harper for the first time and her gaze softened. "Harper..." She started but the moment of distraction was all Gold Trance needed. She leapt at P.Trance, arms outstreatched, reaching for the girl's throat.   
  
The sudden attack snapped Harper out of his initial shock and sent him into action. "Andromeda! Emergency in Machine Shop 17!" He yelled over the com as he struggled to pull Trance off of...well...herself.   
  
Gold Trance managed to get a choke hold on her twin, as much to keep her from talking as to throttle the life out of her. Their eyes locked again as pure, naked hatred flew threw the air. G.Trance felt something hit her flank, barely acknowledging Harper's attack, she withdrew one hand from the purple neck and used it to knock Harper to the ground. Quickly realizing that she needed to maintain her cover if she ever wanted to rid herself of the pixie for good, she hollered, "Harper, stay back, this is an imposter! She's here to kill us all!"  
  
Harper, slightly dazed from the blow, felt a moment of confusion. He watched the two women struggling and debated what to do. The decision was made for him as the doors to the machine shop opened and Dylan, Beka and Rommie raced through. Beka, seeing only Harper ran to him to make sure he was ok. Harper noted the first aid kit clutched in her hands. Dylan skidded to a halt as he was confronted with the writhing tangle of Trances on the floor. Rommie stopped short, nearly colliding with him. She followed his gaze and did what her programing told her to do, she gasped.   
  
"Trance?" Dylan asked, bewildered.   
  
"Trance?" Rommie echoed.  
  
Beka turned from her quick examination of Harper and took in the scene for the first time. "Trance! Get off her! What is going on here?"  
  
"Get back, Beka, this *thing* is pure evil, I have to destroy it." Gold Trance said, never taking her eyes from those of her younger self.   
  
"I'll be the one to decide that." Dylan stated as he leveled his forcelance at both Trances. "Let her up, NOW."  
  
Gold Trance tore her gaze away from her target, glancing at Dylan and his forcelance, she considered her options. Trusting Dylan to be Dylan, she knew he would insist on hearing both Trances' explanations and that if she disobeyed him and killed her other self, she would end up in the brig, or worse. Dylan knew enough of her physiology to know that the forcelance blast wouldn't kill her but it would stun her and there were fates worse than death. She looked again at Purple Trance, trying to convey in her eyes what she would do to her twin if the truth were to be uttered. After a long moment, she released her grip and slowly got to her feet.  
  
Purple Trance coughed and rubbed her throat. She struggled a bit in rising and Harper reflexively started to help her. Dylan motioned him back with his forcelance. "I don't know what's going on here, but I think you had better stay back until we get to the bottom of this."  
  
"Now, will one of you please explain to me what's going on here?"   
  
TBC  
  
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	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who reviewed :D Here's the next part  
  
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Displaying none of her usual spunk, Purple Trance's eyes were clear and calculating, her voice dead serious, "Dylan, I can explain..."  
  
"No. Don't listen to her, she's an impostor sent here to..." Gold Trance interjected.  
  
"Stop." Dylan commanded. He remained calm, his blue eyes hard as steel, his forcelance never wavering. "I *will* get to the bottom of this."  
  
Before he could continue, an explosion rocked the ship. Tyr, who was manning the command deck while the others tended the emergency, came over the COM, "Captain to the bridge, we are under attack."  
  
"What!? Now!?" Harper exclaimed.  
  
"Of course! Why not? It's not like we are in the middle of anything important." Beka remarked dryly.  
  
"Hunt to command, I'm on my way." Dylan announced, he returned his attention to the two Trances. "Until I know exactly what is going on here, you will be separated. Rommie, escort Gold Trance to her quarters and confine her there until further notice. Beka, take the other one to the med. bay, check her for injuries then join me in command. Harper, you're with me."  
  
"Aye Captain." Rommie said as she drew her forcelance and advanced on Gold Trance. "Just a precaution." She said. Gold Trance glared at Dylan and Rommie before allowing herself to be lead from the room.  
  
"I really think I should go with Beka." Harper stated. He was still very confused, his thoughts tripping over each other as he considered the possibilities. Was this his purple princess? Had she really returned? Or was she an evil murderous thing to be feared, as Gold Trance claimed. He shook his head trying to make sense of it all.  
  
"Beka will relieve you on command when she has this Trance secured." Dylan's voice was commanding and left no room for argument.   
  
Harper took one last look at the Purple Trance before grudgingly following Dylan through the door. The ship was hit again, Harper and Dylan glanced at each other and began to run.  
  
Beka was alone with the young girl, a million questions racing through her mind. Trance suddenly found the floor very interesting and studied intently. She squirmed slightly under Beka's heated stare.  
  
"Shouldn't we be going to med. deck?" Trance said shyly, her gaze still on the floor. She looked to Beka every bit the lost and scared girl Beka hired to be her ES officer what seemed like eons ago.  
  
"Trance..." Beka began but was cut off by Trance's gaze returning to her face.  
  
"Not yet, Beka. Soon though, I promise." With that the purple girl turned and began to shuffle toward the door. Having been cut off from the source of her anger and hate, Trance seemed deflated, almost defeated. Beka finally got her feet to obey her brain and followed.  
  
*Soon* Beka thought, but noticing the air that now surrounded Trance, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth after all.  
  
***************  
  
Moments later, Dylan and Harper arrived in Command.   
  
"I see you finally decided to join me, Captain." Tyr said sarcastically. He glanced at Harper, and scoffed, "You look undamaged, little man. I assume your emergency is well in hand?"  
  
Harper opened his mouth to comment on the fact that he would need *two* hands to deal with this particular emergency but Dylan interrupted his thoughts as he took his post.  
  
"Tyr, report."   
  
"Three Drago-Katsov ships exited slipstream and upon detecting us, began to attack. I could have handled them but I wouldn't wish to rob you of the opportunity to make friends with them as they try to kill us." Tyr allowed a little smirk as he finished speaking. Harper rolled his eyes, and snickered.  
  
Dylan ignored them, "Rommie, report."  
  
The Andromeda's hologram sparked to life next to her captain. "I attempted to establish communication, no response."  
  
"Damage?"  
  
"Aft sensors off-line, damage to secondary life support. Rerouting." Andromeda closed her eyes briefly, "Harper should be able to repair the sensors from command. No other damage to report, the modifications to my hull integrity seem to be working remarkably well."  
  
"Of course they are, *I* am a genius!" Harper exclaimed as he ducked under his counsel. "And don't sound so surprised, when has something I've invented *not* worked?"   
  
The hologram began ticking off items from her infallible memory banks but stopped when Dylan gave her a look that said *Don't go there* She turned her attention back to the enemy ships.   
  
"Andromeda, open a communications channel." Dylan requested.  
  
"No response." Andromeda's alter ego stated from a screen directly in front of Dylan.   
  
"All right, then, Tyr, standard defensive and offensive salvos on my mark. Mark!"  
  
"Aye Captain." Tyr grinned ferally. *Finally* he thought. He began firing upon the Dragan ships with carefully concealed glee. There was nothing more satisfying to the Kodiak than the fall of an enemy at his own hands. Especially when that enemy was a Dragan.  
  
"The Drago-Katsov ships have been destroyed." The hologram reported.  
  
Harper popped back up from under his station, "I've jury-rigged the sensors, they'll work but I'll have to go down eventually and repair them manually." He noticed the stand-down from battle, "What? It's over already? Not that I'm complaining but, those were *Dragans* right?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Harper," Dylan said, still looking at his displays, searching for more ships. "I don't think they were searching for us. There were only three of them, they weren't heavily armed and their attack was confused and hurried. I think it was all a mistake."  
  
"Mistake or no, I'm glad it's over! Um...boss? I think we have a little unfinished business?" Harper was practically bouncing with anticipation. With the battle over, there was only one thought on his mind...well...two thoughts.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Harper, we do. Tyr you have command." Dylan joined Harper and together they exited leaving Tyr slightly perplexed.   
  
"Ship, is there something I should know?" Tyr demanded.  
  
Andromeda just shook her virtual head, "You're not going to believe this," She said as she explained the recent events to Tyr.  
  
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	3. Chapter 3

Hey! Thanks so much to all the reviewers, you guys really make my day! My ISP is giving me problems, sorry this one took so long. Next one should be up tomorrow. :D  
  
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Beka met them in the corridor. "I just finished with Trance #2." She had heard the "all clear" moments before, "What? Did I miss all the fun?"  
  
"Yeah, it was a regular cake walk." Harper answered. "Just three little ones, Tyr didn't even have enough time for his 'I shall crush you under my boot' speech before they all went boom. We were just on our way to medical, wanna join us? Wouldn't want you to miss anymore *fun*." He finished sarcastically but with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Beka cuffed him on the back of the head and the three fell in step, headed back to med deck and hopefully some answers.  
  
"How is she?" Dylan asked, referring to the purple girl.  
  
"Well, she's....Trance, I guess, maybe it's her...." Beka stammered, "I brought her to medical, she's acting pretty strange, I started to scan her but, well, she's Trance! I'm a pilot, Dylan, not a medic. She told me that she could take care of it herself and that I should come help you. So I secured the room and beat feet outa there." Beka finished with a little shudder. This situation was too confusing. She didn't know what to think or expect and that always left her nervous. She hated not being in control, unable to see ten moves in advance. And, dammit, this was *Trance*! One of her best friends and now she doubted if she could ever trust *either* of them.  
  
Dylan noted Beka's anxiety, surprised and a little taken aback. He never imagined anything would be able to shake this woman whom he considered to be made of steel.   
  
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Rommie ushered Gold Trance into her quarters, secured the door and took her post outside of it. Keeping watch and making sure Trance remained confined to her room.  
  
Trance let out a sigh as the door locked behind her. Her dark eyes scanned the room and soon found what she was looking for. A small rectangle near the ceiling on the wall to her right. A ventilation shaft. Perfect. Being the ship's chief medical officer, her quarters were very near the med bay.   
  
She set about making arrangements to pay the *purple pixie* a little visit. She gathered her long hair behind her and secured it with clasp made from a Neitzschean bone spur. She had a personal attachment to this particular bobble and made sure to wear it on *special* occasions. That done, she moved to the consul in her room, keyed in a few commands that blinded Andromeda's sensors which constantly surveyed the room via video feed. The commands also affected randomly selected other areas on the ship, it was subtle enough to appear to be a harmless glitch in Andromeda's systems. She didn't hang around Harper nothing. She wasn't worried about being tracked by her life signs, one of the benefits of her species. As for motion detectors, she had something else in mind to fool them.  
  
There was a small fish tank near the bed, *her* bed, yeah, right, it still stunk of the little coward. This Trance couldn't sleep in it anymore than she could plunge one of her beloved daggers through her own heart. She *hated* these quarters. She would have switched immediately but for the proximity to med bay and the fear or raising suspicions in the crew that was already leery of her.   
  
She shook her head and returned her attention to the task at hand. She approached the tank and casually plucked up its inhabitant. She examined the creature in her hand. It was about the size of a kitten and nearly as cute. It blinked its wide eyes curiously at her as it's gills closed and its air-breathing lung took over. In moments it was squeaking and purring to her, nuzzling the palm of her hand. She stroked it once then closed her fist and tossed it to the waiting tendrils of the carnivorous plant that resided near the desk. It and the fish were the only living things she had allowed to remain in her quarters when she had returned. The motion the plant made as it played with, then devoured its prey would more than convince what remained of Andromeda's sensors that she was still in the room.  
  
Trance smiled to herself, all was going according to plan, even the little "diversion" she had arranged was working nicely. It was easy enough to reroute the Neitzschean slave ships through Slipstream. Her powers allowed her limited manipulation of all strings. The strings of possibility, the strings of time, and what was slipstream strings across the dimensions of space. She only hoped the idiots lasted long enough for her to complete her task. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the "all clear" was sounded. "Damn." She muttered under her breath as she quickly removed the cover of the shaft and hauled herself up.   
  
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After Beka had left med bay, Purple Trance set about getting herself cleaned up. She knew she had to get Dylan to listen to her, and *believe* her. She shook her head in disbelief, never had she been so anxious to tell her secrets.   
  
She entered the small med bay bathroom, peeled off her tattered and bloodied High Guard uniform, and kicked it into the corner. Slowly she examined herself in the full-length mirror. The past seven months had not been kind. She had numerous cuts and abrasions but nothing serious, to her at least. Not at all surprised, she noticed that her whole body was caked with sweat and dirt and blood, not all of it her own. She looked past the dirt and noticed how skinny she was. She could never have been called fat but now she realized she could actually count her ribs. Her skin had lost most of its sparkle. It looked dull and pasty. She sighed deeply as she ran her eyes up her body. She brought her gaze up, past the bruises that were forming on her throat and for the first time in a long while she looked at her face, *really* looked. Her cheeks were hollow and stretched. There were deep purple lines of fatigue under her eyes, which had a sunken appearance. She was most disturbed when she gazed into her eyes. Windows to the Soul, Harper had once called them, well, her windows had been broken and then boarded up. There was no sparkle, no sign of life at all. She sighed deeply again and ended it with a little hitch. Tears brimmed her eyes when she let them fall upon her hair. It billowed wildly about her shoulders. Unkempt and unruly, knotted and dirty. She remembered how pretty it once was, how she loved to dress it up with barrettes and make it sparkle. She hated the sight of it now, it looked too much like *her* hair.   
  
Trance's hand shook slightly as she reached for the brush on the back of the sink. She began to stroke her hair with it but it snagged and pulled. She tried to force it through the knots. The tears of anguish that had threatened to fall turned to tears of rage. Quaking with fury at what she had lost, she threw the brush against the mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces. She gaped at the mess she had made but for once felt no guilt. It felt good actually. The violent display reminded her of why she was here. Vengeance.   
  
With new resolve to rid the universe of the gold skinned liar she stepped into the shower and quickly washed away months of pain, filth and misery. It was absolutely heavenly and she wished she could remain. She noticed the ship had stopped rocking under missile fire and knew the others would be coming to question her soon. With enormous will, she exited the steaming paradise, toweled off and began dressing in the only clothes available to her. A white set of scrubs normally used on Andromeda's patients *mostly used on Harper* she amended with a slight smirk.  
  
She buttoned her blouse as she made her way back to the main medical area to await the rest of the crew.  
  
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	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews, now, as promised, chapter 4. I see that chapter 3 is finally working, I was kinda worried about that! More soon :D  
  
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Trance toweled the rest of the moisture from her hair. She sighed and went to sit down and wait for Dylan when she felt the cold steel of a Katanna blade against her throat and a hoarse voice whispered in her ear. "You should not have returned. I didn't want to kill you again but now you leave me no choice."  
  
Fear and surprise paralyzed Trance for an instant but her reaction was faster than her attacker expected. She thrust her elbow into her assailant's midsection, simultaneously throwing her weight back, knocking her opponent off balance. She immediately grabbed the arm with the blade and flung the intruder over her shoulder.   
  
The golden woman landed on the floor with a whoosh as the breath was forced from her lungs. From her back she gaped at Purple Trance. "I see you have already begun the "change". You are stronger, quicker. I will not underestimate you again." With that she flipped herself back to a standing position. The two women circled each other.  
  
"I learned a lot while I was away." Purple Trance remarked with a shrug. "And the change *can* be reversed."  
  
"Why did you come back?" Gold Trance asked as she looked for an opening in the purple girl's defenses.   
  
"You have to ask?" P.Trance sneered. Her eyes never left the gold woman yet she used her peripheral vision to scan for anything that could be used as a weapon. She *had* learned a lot but she was still no match for the warrior that now threatened to tear her head right off.   
  
"I was just trying to satisfy my own curiosity." G.Trance goaded. "Did you come back for Hunt? Beka? Certainly not the Neitzschean. The ship? Or was it the little human?" Purple Trance's eyes flared with raw hatred. "What?" Gold Trance continued, feigning innocence. "What interest could you possibly have in *him*? Oh, yeah, maybe it's because he's the key to this whole "perfect possible future" crap. I just wish I could have been there to see your face when you discovered the role he really plays and why I'm really here. I bet you really missed him while you were gone. I bet you *ached* for the little freak. Don't worry, he sure didn't miss you, I took *real* good care of him."  
  
"BITCH!" Purple Trance screamed and launched herself at the other woman. One hand reaching for the laser scalpel on a table nearby.   
  
Anticipating her attack, Gold Trance easily sidestepped the rushing girl and swung her twin blades, aiming at Purple Trance's head. She let out a grunt of frustration when her knives sliced only air. The younger woman arched under the Katanna and thrust her arm into the opening the warrior's counter-attack created. She slammed the laser scalpel against the other woman's throat and was about to turn it on when she felt the prick of steel at her abdomen.   
  
The two women glared at each other, panting from exertion, at a stalemate. Neither woman would "die" from injuries inflicted in such a manner. The goal now was to be the first to tell their version of events to Dylan. To do that, they would have to be the last one standing. They stared intently at each other, waiting for the fraction of a second when they would be the one to gain the advantage. Their "trance" was broken, however, as the doors to med bay slid open revealing Dylan, Beka and Harper.   
  
"Good grief." Gold Trance muttered.  
  
************  
  
*Outside med bay, moments before.*  
  
As they approached the doors to med bay, Harper's mouth went dry. His heart began to pound and his face turned several shades of white. His thoughts had not strayed from the two Trances even though he tried to make it appear that the two aliens were the furthest thing from his mind. He was scared. Simple as that. He had a very bad feeling and, growing up on Earth, he had learned to trust his instincts, especially the paranoid ones. He ran a hand nervously though his hair and took a deep breath as Dylan keyed the command to allow them access to med bay. The breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened as he beheld the scene before them. "Um...Trance..." He started.  
  
"*WHAT??*" The women barked in unison and then turned their attention back to their stand-off.   
  
Harper was startled at their fierce reaction. His amazement turned to indignation. "What do you mean *WHAT*!? You," he said, pointing to the Gold one, "are supposed to be in your quarters, and you," he leveled his finger at the other, "well...I don't know about you yet."  
  
"Stay out of this, Harper." Purple Trance said, her voice cold and devoid of all emotion, her eyes still locked on her twin.  
  
A hurt look flashed across Harper's face, quickly replaced by a glowing ember of anger.  
  
"Now everyone calm down." Dylan said, attempting to gain control of the situation. "Rommie, report to med bay."  
  
"Sir?" Rommie's voice came back over the com.  
  
"You'll see when you get here." Dylan said. Turning his attention to the women once again, he said, "Ladies, slowly put your weapons down and we'll figure this out."  
  
"Dylan, you don't understand..." Gold Trance began.  
  
"Understand?" Harper exclaimed, "Of course we don't understand! Neither of you has ever told us *anything*!" Dylan's calm, "let me handle it" routine had fanned the spark to a roaring fire. Harper began pacing back and forth in front of the pair.   
"Harper, this isn't helping." Beka said softly, trying to diffuse the rapidly worsening situation.  
  
"No, Beka, it isn't helping." He shot her a withering glance, his pacing increased as his agitation grew. "I don't know what is going on here but I know one sure fire way to find out." He stopped short, faced the Trances and drew his gauss gun.  
  
"Whoa, Mister Harper, what do you think you're doing?" Dylan said as calmly as he could. In truth he was furious at Harper for not letting him handle the situation. At the same time, he was astounded that Harper would pull a gun on his best friend...(s).  
  
Harper glanced at Dylan, "Getting some answers, boss."  
  
"Harper, stop it!" Purple Trance barked. "You could never hurt either one of us and you know it!"  
  
"Oh yeah?" Harper powered up his weapon. "Try me. You tell me which one of you belongs here, *really* belongs here or I will just start shooting and whichever of you *doesn't* come back to life looses." Outside he was cold as ice, his voice steady and controlled. Inside he was a complete wreck. *What the hell are you doing??* His mind screamed. *This is ridiculous! He was going to *make* them talk, that's what he was doing, no more "can't tell you, Harper" or "It's a secret, Harper" *They are your friend and your just, what, going to start shooting at them?* Doubt began to gnaw at him and he struggled to maintain his composure. The gun became slick under his grasp and the hand that held it began to tremble.  
  
Dylan was beginning to think he was going to have to pull *his* weapon on Harper to get the boy to stand down. He actually started reaching for it when the doors to med bay opened once again to reveal Rommie staring open-mouthed at the situation.  
  
The opening of the doors diverted everyone's attention, everyone but Purple Trance and she seized the opportunity. Quick as lightening, her left hand snaked down the blade at her stomach, knocking it away. In one fluid motion she stepped into Gold Trance, knocking her off balance and shoved her sideways into Harper.  
  
Harper yelped with surprise as the gold woman slammed into him like a freight hauler. He felt himself falling *Oh, shit* he thought as the gun slipped in his sweaty hand and discharged.  
  
Harper and Gold Trance landed in a tangled heap on the floor.  
  
"There. That's better." Purple Trance said with a smile.  
  
**************  
  
TBC 


	5. Chapter 5

Warning for Harper owies and cliffhanger ;)   
  
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Gold Trance moaned and rolled onto her back, bringing her hands up to the lump forming on the back of her head. She glanced around, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She saw Beka and Rommie racing toward her and Harper. Harper! Feeling the first fingers of panic, she turned her head, frantically searching. Her gaze fell upon Harper's still form, his face deadly white but for the specks of blood dotting his right cheek. She got to her hands and knees and scrambled to his side. She heard herself muttering in defiance, "Nononononono." There was blood everywhere. Too much blood. Beka knelt on Harper's other side, tearing off her jacket, using it to try and stop the flow from the wound in Harper's stomach.   
  
Trance felt Rommie's hands on her, hauling her viscously to her feet. Rommie secured Trance's arms behind her back, painfully. Trance realized she was still uttering a constant string of no's and that each one was louder and more furious than the last. She struggled against Rommie's iron clad grasp, her voice rising to a scream. She glared at Purple Trance and shrieked, "YOU KILLED HIM!"  
  
Purple Trance staggered from the accusation, her expression pained. She frowned and gathered her resolve. She stared at the enraged gold woman. "Then I have succeeded." She said softly. Despite her attempt to appear uncaring, her face was pinched and her brow furrowed.  
  
Dylan advanced on her, his forcelance aimed menacingly at her throat while Gold Trance continued her tirade, struggling to free herself and pull Purple Trance apart piece by piece.   
  
"He's not dead." Beka said, one hand still applying pressure to the wound, the other against Harper's pale throat, feeling the weak pulse. "but he will be unless we do something NOW!"  
  
"Rommie, have Tyr get here on the double, I'll need help taking these two to the brig. Beka, do what you can until he gets here. Rommie will be able to help you then. I'm not taking my eyes off the Purple one."  
  
Dylan's words cut into Gold Trance's anger. She looked at Harper one more time and said, "The brig? Dylan no! I have to help Harper, I'm the only one who can save him!"  
  
"Rommie is a perfectly qualified medic and Beka knows enough to be able to assist her. I'm not about to let *either* of you near him."  
  
A small groan issued from the floor. Harper's eyes fluttered and he tried to speak. "Shhhh...it's ok, we're gonna take care of you." Beka soothed as she caressed his cheek with the back of her free hand. He made a feeble attempted to push her hand away from his wound.   
  
"Hurts." He breathed.  
  
"I know, Shorty, but it's the only thing keeping you with us right now. Just hang in there." She looked at Rommie, "What do I do? I have to do *something*!"  
  
Before Rommie could answer, the med bay doors slid open and Tyr entered. He headed straight for Gold Trance, having been briefed by Andromeda en-route. He chanced a sideways glance at Harper. It looked as if the boy had lost every drop of blood in his system. Tyr could hear Harper's heart, it was still beating so there was hope. He took over control of Gold Trance allowing Rommie to grab some medical supplies and try to help Harper.   
  
"Scans reveal his condition is worsening." Rommie said. As if to prove Rommie right, Harper gasped, his eyes widening with pain. His body began to tremble and then convulse.  
  
"Harper!" Beka yelled.  
  
"Dylan," Gold Trance said desperately, "Please, let me help him. He *is* the reason I came here. You know that. You saw me save him from the larva. I won't hurt him! Please!"  
  
Dylan glanced at Harper, still shaking uncontrollably, then at Beka and Rommie. From their faces, he could tell it wasn't looking good for the engineer. "Tyr, release her. She may be his only chance."  
  
Tyr gave Dylan a look of surprise but offered no remark or resistance. He let go of Trance's arms and she bolted for a medicine cabinet and grabbed a hypo-spray. She raced back to Harper and injected it into his neck. His seizure ceased almost immediately but he remained unconscious. She then began barking orders. "Beka, more pressure, it's still bleeding too much. Tyr, get Harper on a bed. Rommie, get some blood ready to transfuse." Tyr didn't hesitate, he carefully cradled Harper and placed him gently on the nearest bed. Beka was right beside Harper the whole way, trying to keep pressure on the wound while matching Tyr's graceful moves. Tyr stepped back to give the women room to work.  
  
Dylan turned to Purple Trance. "Time to go." He said and motioned her out the doors. She nodded slowly and they left med bay.  
  
"Ok Beka," Gold Trance said as she snapped on a pair of sterile gloves, "on three, take the jacket off, Rommie, be ready with suction and sponges. Judging by all the blood loss, he has a nicked or severed artery. I'll have to go in and clamp it before he bleeds to death. Ready?" Beka and Rommie nodded. "Ok, 1...2...3!"  
  
Beka jerked the makeshift bandage back and Rommie applied suction as the wound quickly filled with blood.  
  
Trance plunged her hand into Harper's abdomen. "Rommie, are your scans able to pinpoint the source of the bleeding?"  
  
"Inconclusive. It appears to be emanating from the right renal artery but the blast did a lot of damage, things are pretty messed up in there."   
  
Rommie was right. Trance observed that if she were able to stabilize him for surgery, she was going to have a *lot* of work to do. She concentrated on the task at hand. Harper *had* to make it.  
  
"Found it!" Trance exclaimed, "Clamp!" Beka handed her a clamp then stepped back with a sigh of relief as Harper's vitals improved slightly.  
  
"All right, lets get him prepped for surgery." Trance said as she flicked off her gloves. "Rommie, we're going to need more blood, a *lot* more."  
  
"It's a good thing we keep an extra supply of Harper's type." Rommie remarked dryly.  
  
"He was always such a klutz..." Trance began but she was stopped cold by Beka's hand on her upper arm.  
  
"Remember, *Trance*, Tyr will be right out here. Rommie and I will be in there with you, watching you. If you try anything even remotely fishy, we'll make sure you *never* come back, from the dead or anywhere else. Understood?"  
  
Trance gave a brief nod, her jaw set and eyes firm.  
  
The three women set to work.  
  
********************  
  
Purple Trance didn't say a word on the long walk to the brig. Dylan was too worried to grill her just yet. He was frustrated and confused. He had always prided himself on being able to figure out who the enemy was, what they wanted and how far they were willing to go to achieve their goals. This was too much like Rhade. Dylan had thought of Trance as a close friend and ally, now here he was, betrayed again.  
  
When they reached the brig Trance walked right into the nearest cell and sat down on the bed. She put her elbows on her knees and placed her face in her hands.   
  
Dylan stood there wondering what to do next. He still knew nothing of her powers. He didn't even know if the brig could hold her. After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed a chair and moved it to the center of the room where he could keep constant watch. He sighed heavily and sat down. "Andromeda," he called. Andromeda's hologram flickered to life next to him. She threw Trance a disdainful look before turning her attention to Dylan.  
  
"Yes Captain?" She said sweetly.  
  
"What's Harper's status?"  
  
"The *other* Trance found and clamped a torn blood vessel and they are now preparing to move him to the operating room."  
  
"Okay, keep me updated."  
  
"Yes Captain." Andromeda said. She shot Trance another look before fizzing out.   
  
Dylan sighed again and ran his hand wearily down his face.  
  
"Dylan?" Trance still had her hands over her face and her voice was slightly muffled.  
  
"Yes?" He mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He had the beginnings of a killer headache.   
  
"Did Beka tell you about what happened when I left to go to the future?" She asked from behind her hands.  
  
"Yes." He said, suddenly interested.  
  
"Did she tell you what that gold liar said to me?"  
  
"Well, not word for word, she told me that the future Trance told you that you had made mistakes and she was here to correct them. She also said that you needed to switch places to do that."  
  
Trance slid her hands down her face and rested her chin on them. She looked terrible. Her eyes were red-rimmed, the lines under them darker, her skin pale. Dylan could have sworn her hair had more red in it. "I feel like such a fool, Dylan. She didn't only lie to me, she tricked me. When I saw her, I asked her if she was me, from the future. Do you know what she said?"  
  
"No, I don't." Dylan stated.  
  
"She said 'More or less'." Trance sighed heavily again. "It was *less*."  
  
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	6. Chapter 6

Once again thank you to everyone who reviewed {{{hugs}}} :D Glad you like it so far! To Star: Thanks for the input :D I've been working on my descriptions and trying not to rush my dialogue. Let me know what you think of this chapter! That goes for everyone! LOL! :D   
  
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"LESS?" Dylan exclaimed incredulously, his fear and confusion briefly turning to outrage. "What the *hell* does that mean, Trance?"  
  
Trance winced at his outburst. "You're right, Dylan," she said softly, "I'm sorry, you deserve more than that. Old habits I guess." She shifted slightly in her seat and stared at the floor, collecting her thoughts.   
  
Dylan raised his hands, a look of frustrated anticipation on his face, "Well?"  
  
Trance took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Dylan. "She's from the future, that much is true, but she is *not* me. *I* am the only Trance Gemini on this ship."  
  
"Trance," Dylan said tiredly rubbing his forehead, "I think you had better start from the beginning."  
  
"Sorry, I'm doing it again, huh?"  
  
Dylan cleared his throat and tented his fingers.  
  
"Right, ok, um...."   
  
*****************  
  
C.Y. 1108   
  
Trance didn't look back as she entered the tesseract field. A moment later she found herself standing on a windswept plain. Battle damaged buildings reduced to mere skeletons were barely visible far in the distance. Ash filled the air, whipped by an unrelenting wind; it stung her exposed skin and forced her to squint her eyes. *Ok, I changed my mind* Trance thought as she turned around, fully intent on returning to the Maru but the portal was gone.  
  
Panic fluttered through her stomach. *Now what? * she wondered. She took a closer look at her surroundings. She seemed to be in the middle of a vast basin. Mountains ringed the perimeter, barely visible against a turbulent black and green sky. Blue lightening arced between angry clouds, creating an eerie strobe effect that allowed her brief glimpses of the nearer landscape. The decimated buildings she had seen upon her arrival appeared to be the only structures. She turned slowly in a small circle, pausing to wait for the lightening to show her more of the same. Nothing. *I'm not going to cry* She thought angrily. *I'm not going to...* She sniffed loudly, her breath hitching in her chest. Tears formed and spilled unbidden down her cheeks.   
  
"Dammit!" She yelled at the wind, the mountains and the lightening. Her voice carried instantly away by the howling wind. Shoulders slumped, head down, sobs still wracking her slim frame she slowly began walking toward her only hope of shelter. Judging by the air of emptiness that surrounded this place, she held no illusions that she would find anyone there. At least the wind was at her back.  
  
After about an hour of walking Trance brought her head up and wearily peered at her destination. She was disappointed when it appeared that she had not gained any ground. Lightening flashed high above her head followed closely by and earth-shaking clap of thunder. Trance yelped and clapped her hands over her pointy ears. Not until the last vibrations died away did she dare remove them. She gave a shaky laugh as she imagined what she must look like. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a fat raindrop splashed her forehead, quickly followed by another. In an instant she found herself in the middle of a downpour, soaked to the bone.  
  
Not surprised at the latest development, Trance merely hugged her arms around herself and kept walking. She couldn't see two feet in front of her, let alone the buildings she was headed for. Not really caring anymore, she merely concentrated on keeping the wind at her back and letting it push her along.   
  
Eventually the rain let up. Drenched and shivering, her breath pluming in the now frigid air, she paused to once more get her bearings. She mentally sighed when she realized she was off course. Correcting her path she let her head sag. Something caught her attention. Squinting into the darkness, she was startled to see a light flickering in the distance. She rubbed her weary eyes, certain it was a mirage but the speck remained on the very edge of the ruins she had been heading for. With renewed vigor, she pointed her feet toward the light. Hope put a spring in her step as she excitedly imagined finding shelter, and warmth. Perhaps she would get lucky and also find food and someone to explain to her where and when she was.   
  
Her reverie was broken and she faltered as her future self's words echoed in her mind. *I made a lot of mistakes...at best we're not going to win* This future was apparently *very* bad. Trance looked around her again, what she saw would tend to support that. Who could have perpetrated such destruction? The Kalderans? Were they still here? Waiting to attack her? She began to panic as the possibilities race through her mind. She became dizzy and realized she was about to hyperventilate. "Get a hold of yourself." She said, trying to break the cycle of anxiety. Slowly she brought herself under control and she was able to think logically once again. She needed shelter and warmth or she would begin to suffer hypothermia. Her only hope was to reach the light. She would have to be very careful, keep her eyes open and employ a healthy dose of paranoia. Trance smiled slightly, Harper would be proud. The thought of her best friend nearly sent her into another panic attack. Was he dead? Obviously her future self activated the tesseract machine or she wouldn't still be in this horrible place. Was it in time to save Harper? Was Tyr at this very minute keeping the promise he made in the heat of battle? A deep depression began to take root as she realized that she would never see any of the Andromeda crew ever again. She gingerly pushed aside all thoughts of her friends as she approached the edges of the ruins.   
  
It must have once been a great city. Now all that remained were burnt husks of houses and office buildings. Scattered everywhere were the exploded remnants of daily life. The rain had turned ankle deep ash to black oozing mud that sucked at her every step. She cautiously made her way toward the light, closer now, flickering against the wall of what appeared to have once been a house, now only one wall and a section of roof remained. Trance changed her course slightly, coming to the light from a more ubiquitous angle. Picking her way through the darkened, debris-filled streets she approached the wall. She paused to catch her breath and calm her nerves before slowly peering around the corner. After her long walk in mostly darkness, she was forced to squint her eyes against the bright, flickering light of a fire. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out the shape of someone huddled by its warmth.   
  
She studied the scene for a few moments, waiting to see if anyone else would appear. When it was apparent that the figure was alone, Trance cautiously crept closer, wanting to get a better look. Her foot dislodged a small avalanche of debris and before she could get back behind the wall, she heard the unmistakable sound of a weapon charging. She instantly dropped to a crouch and scurried behind large pile of rubble. The weapon discharged, the round flying high over her head. Frantically looking for the best way to escape, Trance heard the sound of the weapon powering down followed quickly by a frustrated string of curses. She risked a quick look. Peeking out from her hiding place she could see the shooter, the same person she had noticed earlier, lying by the fire, and furiously hitting a gauss gun against a nearby rock. With one final whack the gun charged back up. "That's more like it," the stranger rasped, "What kind of freakin' genius can't keep a stupid gun working?"  
  
Trance ducked back behind her shelter as he fired again. The round exploded against the pile she was hiding behind. She shut her eyes tight to protect them from flying shrapnel, her heart pounding harder. Suddenly her eyes flew open as her brain finally processed what the stranger had said. "Harper." She breathed. Could it be? Was it possible?   
  
"Don't come any closer! I've got a ton of ammo, 60 Neitzscheans and the biggest baddest ship in the known worlds waiting for my signal!"   
  
Definitely sounded like Harper but there was something odd about his voice. She knew right away that he was lying. It was obvious he was scared and, something else, she couldn't put her finger on it. She took a chance and peeked her head out again. She still couldn't see him clearly but she could see the gun. He was having trouble holding it up, let alone aiming it. The hand that held the gun was shaking so bad Trance doubted he could hit the broad side of a freight hauler. "Harper?" She called, wincing when he let another round fly in her general direction.   
  
"Leave me alone!! Let me die in peace!" He yelled and fired his gun repeatedly.   
  
"Harper! It's me, Trance." She called.   
  
Her words slowly sank in, "Trance?" The gun lowered. "That's impossible." He said as he brought the gun back up. "Trance is dead." He whispered his voice raw with emotion. "Now go back to where ever the hell you came from or I will kill you where you stand."  
  
Trance raised her hands and crept from behind the rubble, revealing herself to him. "Harper, it really is me. I came here using the tesseract machine you built. Please, don't shoot me." She hoped the direct approach would work this time.  
  
The gun wavered. "T...Trance? Is it really you? Really?" She nodded but stayed where she was, hands still in the air. Harper finally lowered the gun all the way and let it drop. "She said you would be coming but I didn't believe her. I can't believe anything she says anymore."   
  
"Who?" Trance asked as she slowly started moving forward. Harper struggled to sit up and Trance noticed he was wounded, badly. She rushed the remaining couple of feet to his side. "Harper, you're hurt!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, babe, you know me, it's nothin'." He ceased his struggle to sit up and slumped back to the ground with a hiss of pain.  
  
Trance knelt beside him, placing a hand gently on his chest to keep him still while she examined him. It didn't look good. He had multiple injuries; it looked as if someone had been using him as a punching bag. His right leg was obviously broken, as was his left arm. Blood oozed from a gunshot wound high on his left chest. His injuries were fairly recent yet already signs of infection were evident. Harper's body was wracked by a sudden coughing fit. When it subsided, Trance noticed flecks of blood on his lips. Internal bleeding and probably a collapsed lung, Trance diagnosed. Nothing she could do about that right now, she continued her triage. He had several cuts and bruises on his face. Trance leaned closer to examine them and noticed something odd. His cheeks were flushed with fever but they were also more weathered than she remembered. Small lines tracked across his forehead and the corners of his eyes. Dismissing it as a trick of the flickering light she set about doing what she could for her friend. She found a pair of metal bars about the same length to use as a splint for his broken leg.   
  
"Who did this to you?" She asked as she tore the leg off her purple outfit, needing it to secure the splint.   
  
"Casondra." Harper spat the name with a hatred so raw it nearly made Trance recoil. He looked at Trance and his face softened, "You don't know who that is, do you?"   
  
Trance shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing. "No, I don't. All I know is that I'm here because a future version of myself said it was necessary to bring about the perfect possible future."   
  
Harper gave her a quizzical look, not understanding. Trance merely gestured at his leg, indicating that she was ready to set it. He gave a short nod, leaned his head back and clenched his jaw. Trance tried to make it as quick as possible but the instant she touched his leg he bit back a scream. She steadied herself and grimaced as she pulled on his lower leg, the bones popping and creaking. No longer able to hold it in, Harper screamed in agony. He screamed until his voice was hoarse and the air gone from his lungs. With a small sigh his eyes rolled back and he lapsed into unconsciousness.   
  
Trance finished applying the splint and moved on to his arm. Not needing to be strong for Harper while he was out cold, she let the tears fall. Crying openly she cursed the fact that she had nothing with her to help Harper. She didn't even have anything to relieve his pain. She wept the entire time she cleaned and dressed his wounds as best she could. When he finally woke, she was strong again, her crying finished.   
  
"Is this a dream?" He croaked when she appeared in his line of vision.  
  
"No, Harper, I'm here." She soothed, taking his uninjured hand in hers.  
  
"Trance, there's so much I have to tell you."   
  
"You should rest. Reserve your strength. Didn't you say the baddest ship in the known worlds was waiting for your signal?" Trance said, slightly amused.  
  
"Trance...you know I was bluffing. Andromeda isn't coming." He coughed weakly, his body trembling from the exertion. "And *I* know that I don't' have much time left."   
  
"You're going to be fine, you'll have lots of time to tell me everything after you have healed." Trance said as she smoothed sweaty hair from his brow.  
  
"Trance!" Harper's voice was sharp, his eyes, momentarily, clear. "Please! Don't try to placate me! I know I'm dying, I feel it. I'm cold, everything's looks fuzzy and I'm having a hard time concentrating. I have to do this while I still can!"   
  
Trance lowered her eyes, nodding. "I can't...."  
  
"You don't have to, Trance, you just have to listen." Harper leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Trance thought for a moment that he had passes out again.   
  
"Harper?" She said hesitantly.  
  
He opened his eyes again and tried to focus on her beautiful face. "Just trying to figure out where to start, darlin'." He said softly.  
  
Trance sighed with relief. She looked thoughtful, "Why don't you start with how you got here? I mean, I just assumed that you died from the magog eggs in that...er...this...future. How did you survive?"  
  
Harper chuckled, "Well, that was all you, babe, uh...the other you, I mean. As you can guess, we didn't activate the tesseract device. I destroyed it and Hohne was brought back to life. I was in agony, the larvae were fully active and I didn't have much time. Tyr was ready; he would have gone through with it. The look on his face was actually heart breaking, I felt worse for him than I did for me. Which is saying a lot because, well, you know me." He grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, Tyr was just about to pull the trigger when you stopped him. Looking back, it was hilarious, you were quite the little spitfire. You kicked the gun out of his hand and hee-haw'd him on the back of the head. He went down like a ton of bricks. You yelled at Dylan and Rommie to grab me and take me to medical. I was pretty out of it by then but from what I was told, you injected me with something and placed me in stasis until you could figure out a cure." Harper paused to catch his breath, his eyes somewhat glassy as he relived the past.  
  
"How did I cure you?" Trance prompted.  
  
"Technically you didn't. You saved me that day but Hohne came up with the cure, about six months later. I guess it was a good thing we destroyed the tesseract device. Hohne was a big help to us for a long time after that." Harper frowned at the memories the mention of his old friend revived.   
  
"Harper, where are we? What year is this?" Trance asked, unable to contain her curiosity.  
  
"Well, babe, that's all part of the story." He teased, but when he saw the pleading in her eyes he answered more frankly. "This is Terazed and the year is 1108."  
  
"Terazed?" Trance exclaimed, "But how...what happened here? What about the Commonwealth? Dylan? Rommie? Tyr?"  
  
Harper's eyes brimmed with tears as he witnessed Trance's confusion. "It's all our fault Trance."   
  
"Our fault? But how? Harper, please, this is no time to get back at me for all the vague answers I've given you over the years."   
  
Harper turned his head and looked at the fire. "But it *is* our fault, Trance. All of this is because you and I fell in love. Everything you see, all this destruction is just the tip of the iceberg. War is raging in the known worlds and it can all be traced back to our daughter."   
  
Trance leaned back on her haunches, too stunned to speak. Unconsciously mimicking Dylan's actions in another time and place, she wearily rubbed her forehead and finally said, "Harper, I think you had better start from the beginning."  
  
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TBC 


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the great reviews! Here's Chapter 7, let me know what you think! {{{hugs}}}}  
  
  
Still C.Y. 11008  
  
Harper tried to take a deep breath but it turned into another round of coughing. Trance held his head and helped him drink some water from his canteen. When he was finished she attempted to make him a little more comfortable. "Maybe you should rest." She said, wanting, needing to hear more but not willing to have him exhaust himself.  
  
Harper shook his head slightly and winced. "No, I have to finish, it won't be long now." Trance held his hand again and lovingly caressed his cheek.   
  
"Ok." she said.  
  
"I guess the six months I was in stasis was pretty hard on you. Dylan told me later that you nearly worked yourself to death trying to find a cure. He was so worried that he asked Hohne to come on board and help you full-time. The cure was really very ironic. Hohne developed nanobots that when surgically implanted into the larvae, would literally eat the little buggers from the inside out." Harper chuckled again. "Serves 'em right! Anyway, you guys tried it out on me and it worked. Those little freeloaders didn't stand a chance. It took awhile but eventually I woke up. I was totally expecting to be in the hear-after, boy was I surprised when the first thing I saw was Tyr's ugly mug." Harper smiled at the memory. "I looked for you right away but Rommie said you had been ordered to remain in bed until I woke up, seeings how you were so tired and all.   
  
When you finally came into medical, something between us changed, I don't know how to describe it, everything just kinda clicked into place. We didn't even have to say anything to know what we were feeling. We were in love." Harper's voice caught in his throat, he blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. "We took it slow, it was damn hard for me, but we wanted to savor the experience of dating, you know, dinner and dancing, holo-vids in your room, the works. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer. I proposed and you accepted. Long story short, Dylan married us on the Andromeda, in hydroponics, of course. We spent an entire month honeymooning on Infinity. It was the happiest time of my life, up until then, anyway. I shoulda known it was too good to last. That big idiot had to go and get himself killed." Harper finished with a tinge of bitterness borne from terrible suffering.  
  
"Who? Harper, what happened?" Trance asked. She had been marveling at Harper's tale, trying to imagine them getting married. What she would have worn and how handsome he would have looked but his last sentence brought her back to reality.   
  
"Well, shortly after our honeymoon, Beka came up with this hair-brained scheme to find the Engine of Creation." Harper rolled his eyes. "I was off with Rommie on a supply run. Beka convinced you and Tyr to go along for the ride. Something about needing three people to get it or some dumb shit. Only you and Beka came back. You were hysterical and Beka was practically catatonic. It turned out that the planet was littered with ancient booby-traps. One of 'em got Tyr. He didn't even get to go down in battle like he'd always dreamed, he was taken out by some stupid poisoned darts." Harper trembled with grief and pain, his eyes anguished. "I missed him so much, he had become like a brother to me. Beka blamed herself. She said she was in charge of the mission, so she felt like she was responsible. She...she almost left us for good. The whole ship was grieving. I didn't think any of us would ever be happy again."  
  
Trance smoothed his hair and kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.  
  
Harper smiled faintly at her concern. "It was really rough, everything was falling apart. Dylan tried to continue rebuilding the Commonwealth but all the wind had gone out of his sails. His heart didn't seem to be in it anymore. Rommie was upset too, she hated loosing crewmembers but she hated even more what Tyr's death was doing to the rest of us. Time passed slowly those first months after Tyr was killed, but as they say, time heals all wounds.   
  
I'll never forget the day we were finally able to move on. I was working in the slipstream core, just kinda plunking around, not really fixing anything, feeling sorry for myself. You came over the intercom and said that you had a surprise for me. I called it a day and headed home. When I entered our quarters, the lights in our room were turned all the way down. You had lit exotic candles and put them everywhere. The table was set with official High Guard dishes, you know, the ones we save for dignitaries and the like. Oh, you were so beautiful, you had your hair up and it was sparkling in the candle light and you had on this amazing dress that was slit up to here and cut down to there..."  
  
"Harper?" Trance said when Harper didn't continue.  
  
"Oh, yeah, right...uh, it was actually the meal that was supposed to give me a clue to your surprise. You served *baby* carrots, *baby* corn, *baby* potatoes, and some kind of synthetic *baby* back ribs. I was getting used to living with a vegetarian but even *I* thought it was a little much. Man, was I dense. You kept giving me these silly looks the whole time I was eating. I was completely oblivious. You finally got a frustrated with me and had to spell it out. 'Harper, I'm pregnant' you said. I literally choked on a piece of *baby* corn. After you saved me from a very embarrassing death, we laughed and cried and laughed so hard we cried. It was amazing, I wasn't scared at all, I always thought I would be but it felt so right."  
  
Trance smiled as he continued to relate the events of that night. She marveled at the fact that even battered and beaten Harper could still talk the hind leg off a Vedran.  
  
"Everyone was so happy for us. Even Beka started to come out of her depression. We all had something to rally around. I spoiled you rotten. I fussed over you so bad that Dylan had to threaten my Sparky stash just so I would get some work done. Meanwhile we were still flying around, getting attacked, helping people yada, yada, yada. Then one day, Poof! The Commonwealth was restored! Fifty member worlds and a whole fleet of ships rescued from a Neitzschean stronghold." Harper's face beamed with pride. "Dylan was thrilled, but we still had a lot of work to do to get ready for the Magog world ship. I kept working on my mega bomb, and you...well, gestated.  
  
You'd think with all that we had been through that nothing could surprise us anymore. You'd be wrong, we got the mother of all surprises in the form of a distress call from someone claiming to be Tyr's wife! His WIFE! Her pride, Orca, was under attack from some morons that called themselves the Knights of Genetic Purity. Dylan called them Genites, I called them assholes. Anyway off we zoomed to rescue the Orcas. Big battle, lots of explosions, Dylan and Rommie went to the asteroid that the Orcas were living on to start evacuations. Beka and I tried to hold off the Genites but they had some awesome toys and very advanced technology. We held our own for awhile but we were outnumbered and outgunned. We had to get out of there. The Maru barely made it off the surface before the whole asteroid was destroyed. We all ran to the docking bay to try and help with the Orca refugees but only three people came out of the Maru. Dylan, Rommie and an older Neitzschean lady carrying a baby. Dylan introduced her as Olma, matriarch of Orca pride and sole survivor. He introduced the baby as Tamerlane Anasazi, out of Freya by Tyr. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. We all stood there, silent for a minute, just staring at the baby, he was so cute, Trance, you just went bananas over him. Dylan invited Olma to stay on the Andromeda for her and Tamerlane's protection. She agreed and we all helped raise the little bugger. I'd never been around Neitzschean children so I was amazed at how quickly they matured. By the time your due date rolled around, he was walking and starting to speak in complete sentences." Harper shook his head in awe, wincing slightly at the pain the action caused. He closed his eyes and waited for the sensation to pass.   
  
"I think you need to rest now." Trance said, disentangling her hand from his. She started to get up, planning on searching for something for him to eat and a clean source of water; the level in his canteen was dangerously low.  
  
Harper reached desperately for her hand, his eyes pleading, "Please, Trance, I need to get this out." He gave a shaky laugh, "I'm kinda on a roll here."  
  
Trance sighed and grasped his outstretched hand. She stared into his fevered eyes and nodded sadly for him to continue.  
  
"You were even more beautiful when you were pregnant. They say pregnant women have a glow about them, well, you glowed more than any of 'em. I mean that literally, you freakin' glowed in the dark! I had to wear a blindfold to bed just so I could get some sleep." Trance giggled in spite of herself and that earned her one of Harper's patented lopsided grins.   
  
"Finally it was time for the big event. I was a nervous wreck, you were so calm and as usual you helped me get a grip. We did just as we had practiced and in no time we had a beautiful baby girl. Ah, Trance, I wish this you coulda seen her. She was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. She came out squallin' to beat the band but as soon as she saw us, she calmed right down. She was light pink in color, but you said she'd probably darken to a sunset shade of orchid. She looked almost exactly like you, pointy ears, your lips, and your huge eyes. She didn't have a tail though, I was almost relieved, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how we were gonna keep a diaper on her if we had to deal with a tail.   
  
After we made ourselves presentable, we allowed the crew to come in and meet the newest member of Andromeda. They all ooh'd an ahh'd, I was so proud. I felt like I was ten feet tall. Tamerlane came right up to us, looked at the baby and said 'Unca Harper, Auntie Trance, whatcha gonna call her?' Olma signed and left the room. She disliked the fact that Tamerlane hung around me so much, she said I was a 'bad grammatical influence' and that my 'sentence structure was atrocious' if she had known everything I was teaching that kid, she would've skewered me on the spot." Harper snickered. "Oh, yeah, anyway, I picked Tamerlane up so he could get a better look at the baby and I said, 'Tamerlane Anasazi out of Freya by Tyr, meet Kyla Siobhan Gemini Harper' Kyla opened her eyes and they looked at each other, actually they stared at each other. There was an instant connection between them; it was a little eerie. 'Hi Kyla' he said softly, 'You can call me Tam.' Kyla gurgled and cooed. She reached out her little hand and he held it. From that moment on, they were practically inseparable." Harper's eyes took on a far away look and his lids began to droop. "I think I'm ready to take a break, Trance." He mumbled. He forced his eyes open and looked at her, "You'll stay with me, right?"  
  
"I'm not going anywhere. Close your eyes. I'll be right here when you wake up." She held his face gently in her hands and lightly kissed his forehead. He sighed softly, closed his eyes and instantly slipped into a fevered doze. Trance continued to hold his face, tracing every contour with her eyes, comparing this Harper to the one in her memory. *20 years* She thought. A lot had happened to him; a lot had changed in this universe. She reluctantly released his face and turned her attention to the fire. It needed more fuel. She looked around and once again noticed the utter destruction surrounding her. Harper's words echoed in her mind *all this can be traced back to our daughter* How? How could someone who was obviously loved so dearly be responsible for such devastation? Trance had to restrain herself from shaking Harper awake and making him answer her questions. Instead she concentrated on finding wood for the fire.   
  
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TBC 


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks everyone for sticking with me. {{{hugs}}} to all the reviewers. Lisa, wlcome to Drom fanfic, first one you read, huh? No pressure!!! LOL I had a real hard time with this chapter, just didn't turn out quite like I planned so if it stinks, blame the muse LOL! A warning, it has not been beta read so any errors are my own.   
  
The chapter after this one should wrap up Harper's story and get us back to the present. No guarantees though!  
  
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Still C.Y. 11008  
  
Hours later the sky finally began to lighten as a new day broke on the decimated planet. Trance's eyes snapped open and glanced around frantically. After regaining her bearings, she mentally kicked herself for falling asleep. The fire she had built up was down to glowing embers, most of its fuel consumed. A thick damp fog had replaced the previous night's rain and without the fire, she was chilled to the bone. She crawled over to where Harper lay to check on him, worried that he'd not made it through her nap. Thankfully he was still alive. His breathing was labored and she could feel heat baking off him in waves. She resisted an impulse to warm her numb fingers on his burning skin. His fever had risen, she doubted he would become conscious again. She sat down heavily and angrily brushed away a stray tear. She found herself fighting the urge to scream. Scream at the unfairness of it all; scream her anger, her frustration and her grief. She balled her fists and abruptly stood, not knowing where to go or what to do, she began pacing near the wall. Back and forth, kicking bits of debris from her path. She knew she was close to loosing it. She had to get herself under control. She tried to concentrate on her breathing, deep calm breaths. She attempted to empty her mind and relax, she closed her eyes but all she saw were scenes of death and destruction. Snippets of things Harper had told her and other things that she had no idea where they came from. Each more horrible than the next. Her pacing reached a frenzied peak; she brought her fist back to strike the wall in front of her with all her might. She stopped mid-swing when she heard a small groan. She froze for an instant, all the energy from her outburst draining from her body. Her shoulders sagged and she let her arm fall to her side. *Here it comes* She thought, *it's the end* She made her way back over to Harper, trying to appear calm and in control.   
  
Harper was struggling to wake up, his head tossed and his eyelids fluttered. When he finally managed to pry them open, his eyes were glassy. His gaze wandered and unfocused. "Harper." Trance said softly. Her voice cut though the fog that was enveloping his mind and helped him to concentrate a little. He licked his cracked and swollen lips and tried to speak. Trance gave him a small sip of water and sat in awe at his will to survive. Here he was, still alive after everything the universe had thrown at him. Against the most insurmountable odds he was still here. Maybe he could beat those odds again? Maybe?  
  
"Where was I?" His voice weak but still audible.  
  
Trance looked concerned. "Are you sure you want to do this? Someone may find us, if you use all your energy talking, you might not last."  
  
Harper smiled faintly and continued as if Trance hadn't spoken. "Kyla was the light of my life. I loved her more than anything, she became my reason for living." Harper gave a small chuckle. "When you get onboard Andromeda again, you'll have to watch all the holo-vids I made. I swear I recorded that girl 24 hours a day."  
  
Trance gasped and grabbed Harper's good arm. "Harper, you said Andromeda. *Is* the Andromeda still functioning? Is she still out there?"  
  
Harper winced at Trance's painfully desperate grasp, a sheepish look crossing his face, "Sorry, darlin'. I keep forgettin' you don't know what the hell's going on. Yes, Andromeda is still alive and to answer your next question, Dylan is still her captain. He's beat his own record as oldest High Guard Captain 323 years running." Harper attempted a grin but it was lost in a shudder as his body began to fail him.   
  
"Then there's hope, we'll be rescued!" Trance exclaimed.  
  
Harper's eyes clouded and he frowned. "No," he whispered, "They don't even know where I am. I left shortly after the shit hit the fan. Rommie's clear on the other side of the known worlds, still fightin' the good fight."  
  
Trance shifted uncomfortably, releasing Harper's arm she gazed into Harper's bright blue eyes, "Harper, please tell me what happened, I have to understand how everything went so wrong."  
  
Harper nodded and continued. "Another year or so after Kyla was born, it was time for the next big event. The World Ship was at the edge of Commonwealth space and we were as ready for it as we could be. By that time, we had 250 worlds signed on to a Mutual Defense Pact and the Academy here on Terazed was turning out raw recruits day and night. The fleet was an amazing array of the new and the old, never havin' been tested in actual battle.   
  
I was scared outa my mind but I knew there wasn't any place else I would rather be than on the Andromeda when my friends needed me. I wanted you gone, however. I wanted you to take the kids and go someplace safe. Sinti, Infinity, your home planet, (I had found out by then that you *do* have one) it didn't matter. I wanted you off the Andromeda just in case, you know, we all got turned into microwaved Magog munchies. You wouldn't budge. I tried every trick in the book, I whined, I begged, I got angry but you insisted that you *had* to be there because you still had a part to play. I don't know how but you convinced me. I think it was 'cause you played the trust card. I mean, I did...do...trust you completely so I had to ignore every instinct I had to prove it. I trusted you but I didn't trust the Magog. So I built a hiding place on board to stash you and the kids in just in case. One thing I learned from Dylan, always have a back-up plan.   
  
The whole fleet left to intercept the World Ship. Dylan was awesome, he commanded the armada like he was born to it. Every ship moved in careful concert, following a plan that had been laid months before. Even with Dylan's leadership and the meticulously orchestrated attack, the battle was horrific. We threw everything we had at the World Ship and it kept coming. Point Singularity Bombs took out a third of the fleet; Magog swarm ships took out another third. Every attempt at breaching the World Ship's defenses failed miserably, we were loosing. It was time for plan "B". Every ship still able concentrated their fire on the PSB projectors. They weren't able to do much damage but they did create a diversion, allowing the Andromeda to slip through the outer defenses. We headed straight for the artificial sun. The plan was to launch Rosie, the mega bomb I built, directly into the sun, hopefully destroying the ship, the Magog and their "god".   
  
That plan didn't exactly go the way we wanted it to either. When we entered the inner planets, we found thousands of swarm ships lying in wait. Beka, who was at the helm the entire time, managed miraculously to get us through the first wave but it wasn't enough, there were too many of them. We found our way blocked. There was no way the drone that carried Rosie would make it to the sun without being intercepted. Magog ships attached to the hull and we were boarded. To our surprise, we were not killed, just captured. Apparently ol' Red Eyes wanted to do the honors personally. The only consolation I had was knowing that you, Olma, and the children were safe.   
  
Our captors brought us before the god of the Magog. He must have had some kinda telepathy or somethin' 'cause I could hear him talkin' but his lips never moved once, not that he had lips, I mean. He was all gloating about his victory and describing in horrid detail the fate that awaited us. I was scared stiff but I wasn't gonna give the psycho the satisfaction, ya know? Beka was screamin' at him, defiant to the last, she was yellin' about what *she* was gonna do to *him*! Rommie was quietly observing, looking for any weakness, any last chance to do this dude some damage. Dylan was pretty quiet; I was kinda worried, I thought he had given up. Apparently he was implementing plan "C". He freed his hands and activated his sub-vocal implant. 'Trance, NOW' He yelled. Ol' Red Eyes stopped gloating long enough to turn his glowing eyes on Dylan, he musta understood something then because he screamed, man, it was worse than when Beka launched the nova bomb at him. His eyes turned white, and fire shot outa his mouth. 'You have not won, High Guard!' He screamed, 'I shall defeat you and then the universe will be mine!' Then he looked at me, *right* at me, I mean like into my soul, it was like having a disgusting, evil snake was slithering inside my head. He spoke to me, just to me, and I'll never forget what he said, 'She'll be mine too'. Then he was gone and all hell broke loose. The Magog musta known it was time to vamoose 'cause total chaos ensued. Dylan was yellin' something but I couldn't make it out over all the screeching. Beka pushed me ahead of her and translated 'Trance launched the bomb! We have five minutes to get the hell out!' I heard that! We all ran, it all happened so fast, it's kinda a blur now. We couldn't get to the Andromeda so we grabbed the nearest swarm ship and hauled ass, Andromeda right on our tail. We barely made it to a safe distance before Rosie worked her magic. Boom! No more World Ship.   
  
Rommie later reported an unusual rad signature leaving the World Ship moments before the explosion but we couldn't identify it. Yup, you guessed it, the Living Lava Lamp made a break for it. We didn't know that at the time, I sure wish we had. We were all high on victory, it was time to Par-ty. There were parades on nearly every planet, parties 'till dawn and where ever we went there was someone clappin' us on the back an sayin' what a good job we done.   
  
You never really got into the party scene and whenever I regaled you with embellished tales of our victory, you would get really quiet. You'd grab Kyla and hold her tight, a frantic look in your eyes. I never told my Trance what the Spirit of the Abyss said to me. I figured he was gone for good and there was no reason to upset her more. Deep down I too was reluctant to let her or Kyla out of my sight." Harper stopped as a wave of pain broke through his body that left him gasping for breath. Sweat and tears mingled and slowly wound their way down his flushed cheeks. He clenched his teeth and waited it out. When the pain finally subsided enough for him to continue, his voice was husky and barely audible.   
  
"Fifteen fairly peaceful years passed. Andromeda became not only the flagship for the new Commonwealth but also it's chief instrument of law and order. Two things that were severely lacking in the known worlds at that time, as you well know. So, we were never bored. Dylan was offered numerous positions of power, as was Beka. They turned down every one of 'em. It was suggested that Rommie receive her own command but she said no, she was all too happy serving along side Dylan. They tried to get me to head up the engineering department at the Academy. Cushy 9 to 5 job and all the Sparky I could drink. I'll admit, I was tempted. Flying around the universe with a child didn't seem the sanest thing in the world but Andromeda was our home and we couldn't imagine it any other way. So, Kyla and Tamerlane grew up together on Andromeda and as they grew, so did their connection. They were more than friends, they were like brother and sister.   
  
Kyla was smarter than me and had even more spunk than you, which made raising her...um...challenging. She loved us both dearly but she absolutely idolized Dylan and wanted to be just like Beka. Sure, she loved following us around and learning the things we did, her mind was like a sponge, but she soon became bored and thirsted for more. She started taking lessons with Tamerlane, who was being groomed by Olma to become an Alpha. Kyla would challenge Tamerlane, she'd fight him with anything and everything from hand to hand to knives to force lances. She was about half Tamerlane's size but she was resourceful and stubborn and never gave up. I'll never forget the first time she beat him. He looked up at her from the flat of his back. She shrugged, helped him up and said 'What's next?' She'd accomplished her goal, now it was time to move on to something new.   
  
Beka taught her how to fly. She doesn't think I know but the first time she let Kyla navigate slipstream was when she was six years old. Dylan took it upon himself to teach Kyla strategy. He was tickled pink to have someone so eager to play Go with him. That is, until he couldn't win anymore, then the board mysteriously disappeared from his room, I think I saw it floating outside an airlock. Kyla also spent hours in Rommie's VR matrix and she begged and begged for a 'port. That is one thing we wouldn't give in on. It wouldn't jibe with her physiology, that's what my Trance told me anyway.   
  
It eventually became obvious that Tamerlane would soon have to leave Andromeda if he were to prove himself worthy as an Alpha. Kyla had her heart set on becoming a High Guard Captain and convinced Tamerlane that since most of the Neitzschean prides had joined the Commonwealth, becoming an officer would be a great way to prove his worth. Being very advanced for her age, Kyla was accepted at the Academy a year early. So, at age 16 and 17 my babies left the Andromeda. Every time I thought of Kyla out on her own, I got hives. Literally, I would break out in little red bumps that itched like the dickens!   
  
Maybe we got too comfortable. Maybe we became complacent, lost our edge. In the old days, rumors of an evil spreading through the border worlds would have sent us scrambling. We should have at least investigated but we felt invincible. Our worst enemy had been gone for nearly two decades and we couldn't imagine anything we couldn't defeat. We were dead wrong."  
  
TBC 


	9. Chapter 9

This is really turning into a long one, sorry guys ;) I've tried to keep Harper's story short but also keep it interesting. A lot happened over the 20 years. I'm trying to cover the important stuff as best I can. Don't worry though, Harper can't last much longer ;)  
  
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Harper paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. Trance noticed the hint of a sparkle that had appeared in his eyes when he talked about his daughter was almost extinguished. She knew that what he had to say next was very difficult for him even if she didn't know exactly what was to come. She also knew that he was fading, every breath, every heartbeat brought him closer to leaving her. In her mind fear, anger, pity and grief fought for supremacy. Yet she had her own little spark, she still had hope and as long as she clung to it, all was not lost. She would not give up, not until death itself came and stole him from her arms.  
  
Harper blinked rapidly to clear his vision, his face a mask of anguish. "The rumors, the evil, it was the Spirit of the Abyss. Over the years he had secretly built up a new army composed of any creature he could bend to his destructive will. Kalderans, Magog, outcast Neitzscheans, even some humans were with him. We had no idea this army even existed until they launched their first attack. They had new and improved PSB projectors that could destroy entire planets. They were working their way to the seat of the Commonwealth one planet at a time, slowly, methodically.   
  
The Commonwealth fleet was mobilized and once again we raced to the scene, guns blazing. It was a massacre. After loosing half of the ships in his command, Dylan was forced to order a retreat. I was surprised that we were actually allowed to retreat. They didn't even attempt to finish us off. They seemed perfectly content to let us go, regroup and come back to get our butts kicked again.   
  
Once we were a safe distance away, the casualty reports started pouring in. Not one vessel escaped unharmed, not even the Andromeda. We were hit hard and Beka was hurt. It was bad, very bad. The ship was so damaged that my Trance was forced to put Beka into stasis until we reached a functioning hospital.   
  
I sent a message to Kyla to tell her that we were all still alive, if only barely and that we were headed to Sinti to get help for Beka. I can only guess what she thought when she saw me standing amidst what looked like a completely destroyed ship. Actually, I can guess pretty well because Kyla was so much like me, she did exactly what I would have done," Harper grabbed Trance's arm and brought her closer. Through clenched teeth he rasped, "Trance, she left the academy. She and Tamerlane both. They stole a fighter and disappeared. Apparently they had a plan and thought they could defeat the Spirit of the Abyss on their own. They were determined to spare anymore Commonwealth ships or lives, especially ours." Harper released Trance and let his head fall back. He closed his eyes and softly continued. "When we got word of what Kyla and Tamerlane had done, I didn't even have to ask Dylan to go after them. He made arrangements for Beka to be cared for and laid a course to intercept.   
  
As we neared the Volran system, the last known location of SotA's army, we picked up a distress beacon. It was coming from a High Guard escape pod. Rommie's scans were unable to detect any life signs. With my heart in my throat I raced to the hanger deck, Dylan, Rommie and Trance right on my heels. My hands were shaking so much that I couldn't open the pod. Rommie moved me aside so Dylan could force the door of the heavily damaged craft open. I wiggled out of Rommie's grasp and shoved Dylan out of the way so I could see inside the pod. There, in a bloody heap, lay Tamerlane, only Tamerlane. At first glance, I was certain he was dead. Trance brushed past me and began assessing him. He was still alive but barely. We rushed him to med bay, which still hadn't been completely repaired. My Trance certainly was a miracle worker; she brought him back from the brink, like she had done for me so many times before.   
  
Dylan and Rommie continued the search for Kyla from the command deck while I helped Trance as best I could. Tamerlane's injuries were severe and if we hadn't found him when we did, he would have been beyond all hope. Rommie kept us updated, she said that they were beginning to come across signs of a battle and that there had been no contact with Kyla or the enemy. I found this a little disturbing, I mean, we were gettin' really close to the last known location of the super PSB projector and no one had attacked us yet, it was weird.   
After a few hours, Tamerlane began to wake up. He looked around surprised. I think he had the same reaction I did when I woke up and the larva were gone, he honestly didn't think he'd ever wake up again. When he recovered from his shock at still being alive, he looked at each of us in turn and then dropped his eyes shamefully. 'Kyla's gone.' He whispered. I kinda lost it for a minute, I launched myself at Tamerlane, fully intending to take my grief and anger out on him. Dylan snagged me at the last second and held me back.   
  
Rommie was comforting Trance, who was a wreck but in a heck of a lot better shape than me. Trance disentangled herself from Rommie and calmly approached the bed. 'Where did she go, Tamerlane?' she asked.   
  
Instead of answering Trance, Tamerlane looked at me. His eyes were pained and he appeared very near tears but his voice was smooth and steady. 'There is no hope. He took her. She's gone.'   
  
I don't remember much of what happened next, just a lot of yelling and crying and, um, throwing stuff around med bay. Rommie finally had to give me a sedative just so I wouldn't hurt myself.  
  
I woke up half expecting to be restrained, thankfully I wasn't. Trance was sleepin' next to me on one of the larger beds, we were still in med bay. The events of the past few hours came rushing back to me and I struggled to keep it together. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head, trying to deny that my daughter was gone. I finally gave in and cried, Trance musta been given something to help her sleep too because she didn't even stir.   
  
Gentle weeping mixed with my own. Confused, I opened my eyes and saw Tamerlane in the bed next to ours. White-hot fury exploded in me. I lept to my feet and stalked over to him. 'You! It's all your fault! What the hell did you think you were doing?' I reached down and grabbed his collar, I shook him, I ignored the pain that it caused him. I wanted him to hurt, I wanted him to feel as bad as I did. He didn't resist or try and defend himself, he just lay there. His stoic silence reminded me how much like Tyr he actually was and that enraged me further. Tyr was gone and now so was my daughter. I pulled back my fist to smash it into his face when his soft baritone cut like a knife through my frenzied, self-righteous wrath.   
  
'I'm sorry.' he said, tears brimming his soft brown eyes. My vision slowly cleared, I no longer saw my daughter's killer before me but the tender, caring young man I thought of as a son. I looked at my upraised fist, still poised to strike. I dropped it to my side and released my grip on his shirt.   
  
'Oh, god, Tamerlane, *I'm* sorry...I...don't...I mean,' I reached out and embraced him. We stayed that way for a long time. Finally Tamerlane pulled back and wiped his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was choked with emotion.   
  
'I loved her so much. In all things but blood she was my sister and I failed her. I would have done anything to protect her. Now I'm here and she's gone. I will never forgive myself.'  
  
'Tamerlane, please, help me understand how this happened.' I said  
  
Tamerlane looked down at his hands and spoke so softly I could barely hear him. 'I was obsessed with my future as an Alpha. Everything I accomplished was to aid in establishing my own pride. Delusions of grandeur flourished with every potential mate I encountered both at the academy and while on leave. Kyla was very enthusiastic when it came to my goals. She did everything possible to help me promote my status.   
  
When we first heard about the Evil One's return and his improved weapons, we secretly began construction on a counter-weapon. It was Kyla's design and it was ingenious. We intended to hand it over to the High Guard and allow ourselves to bask in the glory of being the saviors of the Commonwealth. That is, until we got news of the fleet's defeat. We discussed it and decided that there was no time to waste, we needed to give the anti-PSB weapon to the headmaster immediately.   
  
Then Kyla got your message. She was extremely upset about poor Beka. She was furious at what that glowing gutter rat did to you and the Andromeda. Her baser human instincts took over and I had to physically restrain her from *walking* all the way to the Volron system and, in her words, planting her boot in his ass.   
  
I made the suggestion that we use the anti-PSB weapon ourselves. It would take precious time for the government of the Commonwealth to test and outfit our design. If we were to use it against the Spirit of the Abyss ourselves, we would prevent anymore unnecessary deaths *and* bring great glory to our names in one fell swoop.   
  
Kyla more than willing to introduce Ol' Red Eyes to *Izzy* personally.' When Tamerlane noticed my confused look, he elaborated a little sheepishly, 'Izzy is what we named the weapon.   
  
So, we *borrowed* a fighter and attached the anti-PSB weapon. Kyla made additional modifications to the ship's auxiliary weapons while we were en-route. The enemy armada had made significant progress relative to its last known location. I assumed that they wouldn't consider one small ship to be a threat. I was right. We were able to take them by surprise as they readied their weapon to fire on an unsuspecting planet. We breached their defenses relatively easily and Kyla let Izzy loose with a roar fierce enough to rival any Neitzschean. We scored a direct hit, it worked perfectly the super PSB projector and its ship were destroyed.   
  
Unfortunately, we now had their undivided attention. We fought valiantly, the modifications Kyla made allowed us to destroy many ships. However, one lucky shot from a Neitzschean cruiser was enough to disable our little craft. We were boarded. Kyla and I fought the invaders tooth and nail, side by side. You should be proud, Kyla never gave up, she fought like a wild cat. Together we managed to turn the tide. We were repelling the enemy and forcing them from the ship when from out of nowhere, there He was. The Spirit of the Abyss.  
  
I had studied him at the Academy but nothing could have prepared me for meeting evil face to face. I hesitated for just a moment but it was enough to allow a Kalderan to fire some sort of energy weapon at me. I found myself unable to move of my own volition. I fell to the floor as the putrid form of the Magog's god towered over me. I heard Kyla scream my name as he opened his mouth and a golden blast burst forth, hitting me square in the chest. The pain was excruciating. He turned from me and moved toward Kyla. I began to loose consciousness, the last thing I saw was Kyla being grabbed as she rushed to my side. The Spirit of the Abyss crushed her to himself and placed a glowing hand on her forehead. She immediately slumped against him, unconscious or dead, I cannot say. I heard his evil laughter echo through my mind as he vanished and took Kyla with him. I must have been taken for dead because when I awoke, I was alone in the crippled ship. I don't know how long it took but I managed to drag myself to an escape pod, not knowing if I would live or die. The next thing I knew, I woke up here, in med bay.'  
  
I squeezed Tamerlane's hand as what he said sunk in. My daughter was out there somewhere, at the mercy of that sick son of a bitch. I swore then and there that I wouldn't let anything stop me from finding her and destroying the Spirit of the Abyss once and for all. 'Hang on darlin', Daddy's coming.'  
  
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TBC 


	10. Chapter 10

Once again, thanks to the wonderful reviewers, you make MY day :D  
  
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STILL C.Y. 1108  
  
Harper gasped as a convulsion of pain rocked his rapidly weakening frame. He clenched Trance's hand desperately. His eyes took on a panicked appearance as he fought to catch his breath. Trance looked on helplessly with her heart in her throat. Slowly he was able to gain some semblance of control over his traitorous body. He closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing and trying to ignore the pain. Finally he opened his tired eyes and continued.   
  
"We searched for six months but we never did find her. She found us. One day, we were all on the bridge, well, all but Beka, she was still recovering from her injuries. All of a sudden there she was. She just appeared out of nowhere, right in the middle of command. For a moment nobody moved, no one recognized her. Her blonde hair had turned dark red and her skin was white with golden shadows all over it." Harper paused and looked quizzically at Trance who was nodding her head, a look of recognition on her pretty purple face. Harper mentally shrugged and continued, "Then my Trance said 'Kyla?' and things seemed to snap into motion. I was so happy, I ran to hold her and as quick as lightening, she drew a knife and stabbed me. She STABBED ME! She towered over me and announced, 'Kyla no longer exists, I am Casondra and I am free of you. I am with my "true" father.'  
  
Breaking free of her shock, Trance she rushed to my side. As she knelt to examine my wound, I noticed Casondra heft her blade and aim it at her mother's head. 'Kyla no!' I screamed. Tamerlane realized what was about to happen and before I even got the last syllable out, he threw himself at Casondra. She turned to him, surprised but ready. She plunged the nine-inch blade right into his heart.   
  
A look of pure astonishment crossed Tamerlane's face. 'Why?' he whispered incredulously. He swayed on his feet for a moment before crashing to the floor, dead. Casondra's eyes widened, an undeniable look of pain and regret etched across her face. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by indifference and scorn. She bent down to Tamerlane's prone form, apparently admiring her handiwork. She quickly snapped off one of his bone blades and straightened. She held out the souvenir for all to see and said, 'Shall we have a game then?' Dylan fired his forcelance but it was too late, she was already gone." Harper shuddered but not from pain or cold.   
  
Trance interrupted Harper's monologue heartbroken and bewildered, "Oh, my god, Harper, how terrible! Wait...Casondra...Harper, didn't you say that someone named Casondra did this to you? She left you here to die?"   
  
"Yeah, that's Daddy's little girl for ya." Harper said bitterly. "I came here to stop her. I knew I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell but I had to try, ya know? She left me like this on purpose; she didn't finish the job because she knew you would be coming. She wanted to make sure to torture us as much as possible. She didn't count on me lasting long enough to tell you everything."  
  
"Harper, I have to know..."   
  
Harper nodded imperceptibly, "As soon as Casondra disappeared, Andromeda was attacked by cloaked ships that were waiting nearby. Just another one of Ol' Red Eyes' latest toys. We managed to get to slipstream and escape relatively undamaged.   
  
I was confused to put it mildly. I refused to believe the *thing* that stabbed me and killed Tamerlane was my daughter. Rommie's scans proved beyond all doubt that it was indeed Kyla. Trance explained to me in horrid detail what probably happened while Kyla was prisoner of the god of the Magog. He tortured her body and raped her mind. He impaled her spirit and twisted it to serve is own evil purpose. Once her mind was wiped clean, he planted seeds of hate and groomed them to maturity, literally raising his own terrible spawn.   
  
Trance blamed herself. Kyla had mysterious powers that had remained untapped, awaiting the day when her mother would begin to formally train her in their use. Now, that time had passed and the awesome power of Trance's people was in the hands of the Spirit of the Abyss.   
  
For a while we drifted, uncertain of what to do. Eventually we realized we had no choice. The crew rallied around us and we set out once again to find Kyla, this time with knowledge as our main defense.   
  
We had made no progress whatsoever when we once again found ourselves at war. The Evil One's army began to decimate the worlds of the Commonwealth anew. Dylan had no choice but abandon the search for Kyla and join the fight against the army of destruction. Trance and I were torn. Unable to abandon the search for our daughter, we reluctantly left Andromeda.   
  
We tracked her all over the known worlds and back again. Rumors and speculation our only guide. It appeared that Kyla, I mean, *Casondra* was looking for something. It wasn't until we actually caught up with her that we found out what she was searching for.   
  
The trail we followed led us to some backwater planet at the very edge of known space. There we surprised her as she scanned the sheer side of a mammoth cliff overlooking a boiling yellow sea. She was getting ready to lower herself down the cliff when Trance and I made our presence known. Casondra flipped to her feet and drew her weapons, practically hissing at us. Trance tried to reason with her, tried to get her to come with us so we could help her. Trance told her how much we missed her and loved her. Trance's words fell on deaf ears. Casondra slowly circled us, sizing us up. She glowered at Trance as she playfully swiped one of the blades at Trance's face. 'I want to thank you, Mother.' She sneered. 'Thank you for failing so miserably, why, if it weren't for you, I would never have become the woman I am today.'   
  
Trance didn't let Casondra's words affect her. She kept a wary eye on the knives and continued talking to Casondra as if she were still Kyla. Casondra ignored her and turned her attention to me. '*Father*' she said disdainfully, 'I want to thank you too. Without all your tedious, insipid stories of Andromeda and her crew, I would never have known where to find the fifth piece of the Engine.'   
  
At that Trance stopped and stared at her daughter. 'The Engine? You're searching for the Engine of Creation?'  
  
Casondra laughed, 'Of course, *Mother*, once I have gathered all five pieces, I will join my true father and we will rule the universe together!'   
  
'Good grief, how corny is that?' I muttered.   
  
Trance waved her hand to shush me. 'Kyla...'  
  
'I told you my name is *CASONDRA*!' Casondra's scream echoed off the cliffs, reverberating in my bones.  
  
'Casondra,' Trance began again, 'You don't understand, the Spirit of the Abyss is using you, he will never allow you to be his equal, he will never share anything with you. When you have fulfilled your purpose, he will cast you aside without a second thought.'  
  
Casondra seemed affected by this. She lowered her knives, lost in thought. 'You can't be right. He loves me. You can't be right, you're a...a...' She turned her back and began to sob. Trance's heart nearly broke; she approached Casondra and reached out a purple hand to her daughter's shaking shoulder. Suddenly Casondra spun around, her blades flashing in the dying light, 'BECAUSE YOU'RE A LIAR' she screamed as her blades slashed deep into Trance's throat.   
  
I watched Trance fall in slow motion, I felt like I was stuck in mud up to my chin. I raised my gun, shrieked Trance's name, and fired at Casondra but she was already rappelling down the cliff and out of range. I ran to Trance but it was too late. She was gone. I sat with her for what felt like days, waiting for her to come back to me like she did when Gerentex shot her. She didn't, she was really gone.   
  
I wanted to lay down and die right there beside her. I couldn't do it. My throat was filled with bile, ice flowed through my veins and my heart turned black with hate. I had one purpose to fulfill before I was united with my Trance in sweet sleep. I would kill Casondra.  
  
I returned Trance's body to the Andromeda for burial. Dylan and Rommie wanted me to stay and help them with the war. They didn't really need me, Andromeda had been outfitted with a full crew, and besides, I had other business to attend to. I said one last goodbye to Dylan and Rommie. I composed a letter to Beka, explaining to her what had happened. I told them all how much I loved them and then I left for the last time.   
  
I had lost Casondra's trail but I was relentless. I don't know how many galaxies I passed through, sniffing for any clue as to her whereabouts. I don't even know how much time passed before I found her here on Terazed.   
  
I found her digging in the ruins of this city. I should have just shot her in the back and been done with it but part of me still thought of her as my daughter. My gun wavered.   
  
She spoke to me without turning, somehow knowing I was there. 'Your still have the backbone of a jellyfish.' She slowly turned and faced me. 'I have the fourth piece of the engine, no one can stop me now.'   
  
'Yeah, well I'm sure as hell gonna try.' I said as I fired.   
  
She nimbly evaded my rounds and I soon realized that I was not going to be able to inflict any damage that way. Time for plan "B"   
  
'Don't you need all five pieces of the Engine to make it work?' I asked, trying to distract her while I readied that plasma mine I had hidden under my cloak.   
  
She nodded and tucked a stray piece of ruby hair behind her pointy ear. 'You know your legends. The fifth piece has been inaccessible since the time of Tyr and Beka's failed attempt all those many years ago. However,' she drew one blade, 'four pieces are enough to allow me to travel back in time, to before that blonde bitch screwed it up for the rest of us.' She drew her second knife. 'As a matter of fact, if all goes according to plan, you may be lucky enough to get a visit from *Mommy Dearest*'  
  
I could shoot myself for even paying attention to what she was saying because the last part distracted me. She lunged at me and tore the plasma mine from its holster. She cast it aside and then she went to work on me. She seemed to enjoy every second. I was completely defenseless and at her mercy. I prayed that she would just kill me and get it over with but she kept me alive on purpose, to lay here in agony until you arrived. And here you are." Harper finished. He lay his head back again and closed his eyes, the memories overwhelming him.  
  
Trance thought he had fallen asleep when his eyes suddenly flew open and he once again frantically clawed at her arm. "You have to stop her before she finds the last piece of the Engine! You can do it! Find the four pieces, she hid them here on Terazed, go back and stop her!"  
  
Trance tried to calm him down. "Harper, slow down, you have to rest."  
  
Harper sighed heavily, it came out gargled and left him choking. Trance panicked, "Harper? Harper?" She yelled.  
  
"Find her...stop her..." he gasped, his eyes glazing slightly. He shook his head as if trying to force the words out, "Kill her father..."  
  
"But Harper, you're her father." Trance shook Harper trying to force him to make sense.   
  
He smiled at her, his eyes clearing for a moment. Blood trickled in a thin line from his mouth to his chin as he reached his hand slowly to Trance's face. He lightly traced the line of her jaw with his fingertips and whispered, "I'll always love you my Purple Princess."   
  
Trance grasped his hand as it began to fall, the light fading from his eyes as they closed. "Harper? Harper NO!" Trance cried, as she shook him again, this time in desperation. Tears streaming from her eyes in a torrent. "Harper! You can't leave me! Please!" She begged. She began CPR but she knew it was no use. He was gone. She sat back and stared at his still form. Suffering from a grief so deep it wounded her soul, Trance lay down beside Harper. She placed her head in the hollow of his neck, her lips gently brushing his cheek as she whispered incoherently, one hand absentmindedly stroking his soft blonde hair. Trance was so enveloped in her suffering that she didn't even notice that it had begun to rain.  
  
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TBC 


	11. Chapter 11

{{{hugs}}} to all who reviewed! Thank you so much, you guys are GREAT!!! Ok, here we go, back to the present! (kinda) eg  
  
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C.Y. 1088  
  
"He died in my arms." Trance whispered. Turning her tear-streaked face to Dylan she held out her hands as if to prove how empty they were. "I had no choice but to bury him there in that ruined wasteland." Trance continued, her voice a dead monotone. "I sat by his grave for a long time, trying to figure out what to do next. His dying words running back and forth through my mind. I decided that the only way to ensure *any* kind of future was to find the incomplete Engine and use it to follow Casondra, to stop her.   
  
I set out to search for the four pieces but I never even made it past the city limits. I had no food or water and was barely stumbling along when a ship landed. Hope swelled within me, help at last! I couldn't have been more wrong. It was the Kalderans. As near as I can figure, they were acting on prior orders from Casondra because they knew right where to find me. I was too weak to offer any resistance. To be honest, I was beyond caring. They transported me to a prison planet where I sat numb and nearly catatonic. I had given up all hope. That is when I felt the Change begin."  
  
"The Change?" Dylan interrupted, "What exactly *is* the Change?" He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him.  
  
Trance sighed, there was no use in holding anything back now, if they couldn't find a way out of this, it wouldn't matter who knew her secrets because the universe would be in ashes. "When a member of my species is faced with a situation beyond their control, when they give up all hope of a perfect possible future, they begin a physical and mental transformation. We become the opposite of our nature, which has always been to help create a better universe. We become agents of destruction, ruthless and practically unstoppable. It's hard to explain, it's not like we all of a sudden become evil, just self-serving. After all, when you've lost all hope, there isn't anyone else to care about *but* yourself. The physical changes that arise are a means of self-preservation. We become faster, stronger and even more powerful. The Spirit of the Abyss was able to induce these changes in Kyla while she was his prisoner by grinding down her will and erasing all hope from her mind. That is why she looks so different now." Trance looked at her pale purple hands as she continued.   
  
"When I felt these changes taking place in my body, I became even more despondent. I believed there truly was no hope, no perfect possible future. Part of me fought it; struggled to see the one thread of hope that remained. However, an even larger part of me embraced the Change, embraced the hate and despair. I began to loose myself; I became more animal than anything, fighting other prisoners for scraps of food and sips of water. For three months I scrambled for survival, hating everyone and everything until one night, I had this strange dream. I dreamed of Harper. He wasn't hurt, he was young and healthy and, glowing. He didn't speak to me; he just motioned for me to follow him. I did and before I knew it, I was outside the prison walls. Harper led me to a small Kalderan spacecraft. I followed him inside. He still didn't say a word but pointed at different buttons which I pressed. I felt the dream fading, I called out to Harper, begging him to stay. He smiled sadly and disappeared. I woke up inside the ship from my dream, floating at the edge of Commonwealth space. I searched everywhere for any sign of Harper but found nothing. I don't even know if he was there in the first place or just a figment of my fevered mind. Either way, I owe him my life." Trance looked back up at Dylan, her eyes shining, a wistful smile on her face. She shook herself out of the memory and continued.   
  
"I immediately sought out the Andromeda, the one place that had any meaning left for me and my only hope of traveling safely though the war zone back to Terazed, for I finally knew what I had to do. I was met by the new crew with shock and suspicion. Even you and Rommie weren't entirely sure what to make of me. Once on board I was taken directly to the brig," Trance glanced around and smiled wryly, "This exact room as a matter of fact. You were about to begin interrogating me when Beka stormed in. She looked so different, she had a robotic arm and a cybernetic eye patch and I could tell she was trying hard to hide a pronounced limp. She marched right up to the cell I was in and stared at me. I wasn't sure what she was thinking, it kinda looked like she was gonna blow my head off. She lowered the force field and stepped into my cell. I backed up into the corner as she advanced on me. She stopped, looked me over once more, 'Trance?' she said. I nodded and was rewarded with a crushing embrace. I was so relieved, I let everything come pouring out, everything I'd been through. We cried together as I told her what had become of Harper.   
  
Eventually she pulled back and smoothed my hair with her good hand, she kissed my dirty forehead, looked deep into my eyes and said, 'Can you fix this?' She gestured vaguely and I knew exactly what she meant.   
  
My body trembled, and my lip quivered. I wanted so badly to say yes, to take away her pain but I couldn't. I shook my head and whispered, 'I don't know, but I know how to try.'  
  
I then proceeded to explain to that Dylan about the engine and how I if I could find the four pieces on Terazed that I might be able to follow Casondra and stop her before she found the fifth piece.   
  
The future Dylan shook his head and informed me that it would be nearly impossible to reach Terazed. Aside from the fact that it had fallen into enemy hands, the Commonwealth fleet was nearly decimated. The Andromeda and the Wrath of Achilles were the only ships left to defend this sector of space. There was no way anyone would be able to leave. I felt the tiny spark of hope that had ignited in my breast flicker and die.   
  
Having nowhere else to go, I was given a position in the crew. I was assigned my own quarters and a uniform. Everything was so different, even Andromeda herself was much more detached and formal. Things aboard the ship were much more military-like which I guess it had to be, every day in that future was a struggle to survive, a constant battle in space and on land.   
  
I learned fast and soon found myself actually making a difference. I was further trained as a team medic and accompanied Lancer units on extremely dangerous missions. I nearly forgot about Terazed and Casondra until one night, Beka came to my room. She gently shook me awake and said two words; 'It's time.' She must have known something I didn't because before I knew it, I found myself in the Maru, Andromeda becoming nothing but a speck on the rear-view monitor.   
  
'Beka, where are we going? It isn't exactly safe out here, you know.' I said.  
  
'When you came back onboard the Andromeda, you said you might be able to change all this, make it better. Well, now's your chance. The Kalderans have mostly abandoned Terazed space in favor of more juicy targets.' She turned around in the pilot's seat and stared at me, a tear forming in her one good eye. 'I can't do this anymore, Trance. I'm tired, I just want it to be over with. You can do that, I know you can. You don't belong here, none of us do.' I nodded, not trusting my voice to speak, I put my hand on her shoulder as she lay in a course for Terazed.   
  
When we arrived, the planet appeared abandoned. It looked exactly the same as it did when I first arrived after traveling 20 years into the future. I immediately took Beka to Harper's grave, she knelt down and rubbed the fingers of her good hand over the rough letters I had carved into the brick wall. There was no time for tears, we immediately started searching the ruins for the incomplete Engine.   
  
After about a week of combing the remains of the city, we turned our attention to the mountains that ringed it. Supplies began to run low and we found ourselves rationing the last bits of food and water. We continued our search just as diligently, never once relenting. Every once and a while, I'd get the feeling that we weren't alone, that we were being watched. I shrugged it off as paranoia since scans of the area still didn't show anything out of the ordinary. If only I'd paid more attention to my intuition. If only...  
  
We were exploring a maze of caves in the Northwest section of the mountain range when Beka spotted something with her cybernetic eye. 'Trance! Come here! I think I found it.' She got down on her knees and started digging, I joined her and soon we had unearthed the four pieces of the Engine of Creation. We were elated, we laughed and cried and danced all around the cave.   
  
Suddenly a shot rang out. I watched, horrified, as Beka fell to her knees, a flower of blood blossoming from her abdomen. She looked at me, her face a mask of confusion as she fell face first to the floor of the cave. I dove for her as more shots range out, I could now hear the hissing of Kalderans. They *had* been following us, waiting for us to find the Engine for them.   
  
I grabbed Beka's shoulder and turned her over. She was gasping for breath, a pool of blood spreading beside her.  
  
'Beka! Beka! Stay with me! We've got the Engine now, come on, we've gotta go!' I was out of my mind with panic.   
  
Beka's good eye focused on me as she struggled to speak, 'Go..' she rasped.  
  
'Beka, no! I can't leave you like this, I *won't*' I cried.  
  
She pushed me away with amazing strength, 'I'm counting on you, Trance! Go NOW and don't look back!' She drew her forcelance, a familiar sparkle dawning in her good eye. She low-crawled toward the front of the cave, firing wildly at our attackers.   
  
I knew what I had to do, I scurried over to the Engine, whispered goodbye to Beka and activated it." Trance slapped her thighs with her hands, "The rest you know."  
  
Dylan sat back in his chair and exhaled loudly. "Wow, Trance, I don't know what to say. I still have so many questions. If Harper lived through the Magog infestation in that future, why would Trance, I mean, Casondra come back here to supposedly save him? There doesn't seem much point, I'm sure she could have come up with another excuse."  
  
Trance stood and started pacing inside her cell, "To put in fairly simple terms, the Engine of Creation was incomplete, and being so, it's powers were limited. The first expedition to find the remaining piece of the Engine failed miserably and ended in the piece being inaccessible to even Casondra in the future. In order to find it, she had to come back to the past and assume my identity, join the expedition herself and recover the piece. To ensure that I would be banished forever, unable to reveal her secrets, she had to activate the tesseract device and create a time/space paradox. If she hadn't, she would have been bounced back to the future, I would have returned and none of us would have remembered a thing. The timeline would have continued to it's inevitable conclusion."  
  
Dylan processed Trance's words, "If I'm to believe what you've said is true, then the next question would be; What do we do now?"  
  
Trance looked thoughtful for a moment, "Killing Harper was supposed to be a last resort, but at least now Casondra knows how far I'm willing to go to stop her." She stopped pacing and approached the force field that separated her from Dylan. "I have a plan. It will probably get us all killed but it's the only way."  
  
Dylan stood and also approached her cell. He looked deep into Trance's troubled eyes and saw fear and sadness. Beneath that, deeper, he discovered strength and great resolve. He reached out a steady hand and disengaged the force field. "Let's bring it."   
  
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A/N: I don't necessarily believe the above reasons as an explanation as to why Trance looks and acts different from her purple self on the show, it just seemed best for the story. Oh, yeah, sorry about the cheesy Dylan line but it's just so...Dylan I had to put it in :D 


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks once again for the wonderful reviews, sorry it's been so long! This is kinda short, just checking in with the rest of the crew while I try and figure out what the heck happens next!   
  
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Casondra slammed her fist down on Dylan's desk causing Tyr to shift his enormous weapon slightly. His eyes never left her as she began pacing around the room like a caged animal. He remained leaning against the wall not about reveal weakness of any kind to the gold woman.   
  
The more he reflected on their current situation, the more he found his thoughts returning to his first meeting with the purple girl. He had not placed much trust in her from the beginning. He found her annoying, bothersome, and believed her head would never leave the clouds. As time passed and one adventure melded into the next, he was startled to discover the girl worming her way into his affections. Despite his best efforts he found himself becoming protective of her. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he felt a connection to her, and through her persistent efforts, a begrudging friendship was forged. All that changed the day she essentially abandoned the crew when their need was greatest and was replaced by the gold abomination which now graced his sight. Not once in the months since she had been on board had Tyr been truly convinced that this incarnation's intentions were pure no matter how vehemently she protested to the contrary.  
  
Tyr had to hide his surprise as his train of thought was interrupted when the gold alien stopped her pacing, lifted her head to the ceiling and shrieked, "ANDROMEDA!"   
  
Andromeda's image was immediately displayed on the main view screen. The beautiful AI gazed passively at the agitated woman before her, "Yes?"  
  
"What is Harper's condition?" Casondra spat as she resumed her pacing.   
  
Andromeda closed her eyes briefly. "Harper's condition remains unchanged, he is still unconscious and in critical condition."   
  
"Damn." Casondra hissed, "I should be in there monitoring him!"  
  
Andromeda maintained her detached facade, "Beka and my avatar are perfectly capable of caring for Harper's needs and should a situation arise in which you skills are called for, you will be notified." With that she disappeared, her image replaced by the spinning Commonwealth logo.  
  
Casondra swore her frustration and kicked a nearby chair. She glanced sideways at Tyr and sat down heavily, putting her head in her hands she moaned, "He can't die, not now. He has to be all right." She peeked though her fingers at Tyr and began to cry softly.  
  
Tyr, unaffected by her little display, merely shrugged his massive shoulders, his face a careful mask of indifference. "The little professor has been through much worse and come out stronger. I have very confidence he will again."  
  
Frustrated that her ploy had no affect on Tyr, Casondra let her hands drop to her lap. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. The purple bitch had nearly ruined everything. Casondra knew what was transpiring in V-deck at that very moment. She did not need special powers to tell her that her cover was blown. Her only hope of salvaging anything from this mission was to somehow escape the Andromeda and find the remaining piece of the Engine. Only then would she be able to leave this hellhole and return to her master.   
  
It wouldn't be enough to just escape, however. There was still the problem of needing three sentients to actually retrieve the final piece of the Engine. As this occurred to her, Casondra nearly cried for real. He plan had been working so perfectly, in a few short weeks it would have been over and she would have been safely back in the future. She glared furiously at the Nietzschean, he was at the moment, literally, her largest obstacle. Her dark eyes narrowed and an evil smile spread across her lips as she developed a *new* plan.  
  
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Beka readjusted the sheet on Harper's bed for what felt like the hundredth time. Even unconscious, her engineer was a tightly wound ball of energy. His eyes flitted under his closed lids and his brow continuously furrowed as he struggled to wake from the anesthesia. She attempted to calm him by gently stroking his face while whispering reassurances, occasionally pausing to tuck an errant limb back under the blankets.  
  
During a lull in the young man's thrashing, Beka glanced worriedly at Rommie who was monitoring Harper's vitals. "He should be waking up soon." Rommie stated, relief evident in the android's voice. "He's going to hurt like hell for awhile but he should be Ok."  
  
Beka smiled at that, some of the tension leaving her body. "What's going on with the others?" she asked.  
  
Rommie's eyes darted back and forth as she processed information from her ship-self. "Tyr and the Gold Trance are still in Dylan's quarters, nothing of consequence to report. Dylan remains on V-deck with the Purple Trance." Rommie paused and closed her eyes, delving deeper into her computer core. "Strange," she said, "I am not being allowed access to records pertaining to the brig." She opened her eyes and looked at Beka, "I've been locked out."   
  
Beka stood and glanced around suspiciously, "Something's up Rommie. I think we should get ready."  
  
"For what?" Rommie asked, a bit taken aback by Beka's sudden change in demeanor.  
  
On the bed, Harper let out a pained moan, his eyelids beginning to flutter. Beka turned her attention from Rommie to Harper and whispered, "I'm not sure but whatever it is, it's gonna happen soon."  
  
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TBC 


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you guys for being so patient :D Sorry it's been so long, wanted to finish my other fic. {{{reviewers}}} Here goes, let me know what you think :D   
  
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Casondra fidgeted nervously in her seat in Dylan's quarters. She spent the last quarter of an hour mentally preparing and polishing her plan. She chanced a sideways glance at her captor. Since Tyr was still in the exact same position he had been in since locking her in here, she decided that she could not afford to wait another minute. She stood, hopefully not too quickly. She didn't want to arouse the suspicious nature of the Nietzschean. As calmly as she could she smoothed her leather outfit, readjusting certain areas for maximum impact. She reached behind her and unclipped the 'special' barrette allowing her maroon mane to flow about her shoulders. She slowly shook her head, and ran her hand through the wavy locks. She was aware of Tyr's eyes on her, as they had been since he escorted her from med bay but when she gazed back into those eyes, there was no hint of the emotions she was attempting to engender. Only the same cold, mistrustful indifference.   
  
Undeterred, Casondra approached the Nietzschean. Her movements cat-like and seductive. She stopped only when her body was mere inches from his ridiculously large gun. Tyr made no move to stop her, his face never changing. "Tyr Anasazi," She purred, "I have a proposition for you." She paused to judge his reaction and was not surprised when she found none. Casondra leaned a little closer, tracing one gold finger along the Nietzschean's bulging bicep. When he made no move to quell her advances she continued. "I am from the future, that much is true and by the time that purple bitch is finished brain washing Dylan, I'm afraid all will be lost for me." She frowned slightly, her lower lip extending in what she hoped was an adorably vulnerable pout. "That is, unless a big, strong Nietzschean such as yourself could find it in his heart to help a poor innocent girl like me."  
  
Casondra flinched at the sound of Tyr's weapon powering up. He made no move to aim it at her however and his eyes never left hers. She leaned back in, her body actually touching the gun. "What's in it for you, you say?" Casondra asked innocently, "Well, I would never make a proposition such as this to a Nietzschean such as yourself without having the goods to back it up, now would I?" She batted her eyelashes and ran her finger down from Tyr's bicep to his bone blade sheath. Bringing her other hand up, she slowly opened it to reveal her bone blade hair clasp. Tyr's eyes were still locked with hers but she noticed him studying the artifact with his exquisite peripheral vision. She raised to her tiptoes in order to whisper in the large man's ear. "I know things, Tyr, things about your family. Not the one in the past but the one in the future. I know how it can all go wrong; but then again, I also know the enormous potential. The Kodiak pride can live again. It can be stronger and fiercer than any other. Tyr, with me on your side, you could unite the prides and rule them all."   
  
Casondra slowly leaned back to gauge his reaction. She thought she saw something flicker deep in his eyes and was encouraged. He remained silent however, waiting for her to reveal the inevitable string attached to her offer. "All I ask in return are two small favors, very small, tiny even. As a matter of fact, they will also benefit you. Call it a bonus just for looking so damn fine." Casondra chuckled deeply, her hand absentmindedly stroking Tyr's bone blades. "I need you to help me find something, something hidden very well, so well that we will need two others to help us. I have no leverage over Dylan but I believe if he and his android were out of the way, I would be able to convince Beka to join us, as long as she believed it would be the only way to keep her precious engineer in one piece."  
  
Casondra nodded her head at the understanding dawning in Tyr's dark eyes. "Yes, Tyr, I want you to kill Captain Hunt and his robot. I will take care of the purple *pixie* myself. When I have what I came for I will tell you all I know about the future. The Andromeda will be yours and I'll even throw in the lovely Captain Valentine for your amusement." Casondra's eyes narrowed and she again came face to face with the unmoving Anasazi. "My other request is a little more unusual but even more crucial." She paused, letting the importance of her words sink in, "I need you to watch over Harper, make sure he is not killed. Maimed, wounded or tortured, sure but he stay alive."   
  
Tyr face contorted in confusion, "Why Harper?" He said softly.  
  
Casondra grinned wickedly, "Because he's cute, like me." She walked her fingers up Tyr's chin and gently tapped his nose. She stepped back and appraised the Nietzschean. "So, we have an agreement?"  
  
Tyr stared coldly at the gold woman, "I never discount any opportunity, no matter how..." he paused, searching for the perfect adjective, "unpleasant."   
  
"Good then, here's what I want you to do..." Casondra began. She was interrupted by Andromeda's frantic voice over the com.  
  
"Emergency, Deck 19. All personnel report to med bay immediately."   
  
Casondra shot the speaker a disgusted look. Her face froze and her eyes widened as she realized what the emergency must be. "Oh, no! Harper!" She whispered.   
  
Tyr aimed his gun in her general direction and motioned for her to go first.   
  
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As the pair neared med bay, they could hear muffled shouts but could not make out the words through the closed doors. "Ship" Tyr commanded, "Grant us access."   
  
"The door is locked and I cannot override the commands." Andromeda's voice echoed through the empty corridors.  
  
Casondra looked helplessly at Tyr, "I *have* to get in there!" She hissed.  
  
"Perhaps my commands still work." Tyr said as he aimed his gun at the door controls and fired. Wired fizzled and sparks flew. Slowly the doors slid open. Casondra bolted through, waving her hand to clear the smoke from her eyes.  
  
"Don't come any closer." Casondra skidded to a stop at the sound of Trance's voice. Through the dissipating smoke, she could make out Harper's bed and the form of the purple woman standing over it. She had something in her hand. Casondra squinted to make out what it was. When she saw it, here eyes widened and she gasped. Trance was holding one of Casondra's own kattana blades like a dagger mere inches from Harper's chest.   
  
Casondra snapped out of her shock when she once again heard Tyr's weapon charge. "I can take the purple one out right now." He said, his voice dripping with venom.  
  
"No!" Casondra squeaked, jumping in front of Tyr, "She'll kill him before you can even pull the trigger, I told you, I need him alive." Casondra finally noticed the room's other occupants. Dylan and Beka were on the floor tied up with what looked like IV tubing, they were staring slack-mouthed at Tyr's betrayal. Casondra grinned at their reaction; her grin widened as she spied Rommie lying in a heap in the corner, apparently deactivated. She mentally checked that task off her to-do list. To Tyr she said, "Cover them, make sure they don't interfere. I'll handle the purple one." Tyr's only response was to train his gun on Dylan and Beka. Satisfied that he was on her side, Casondra turned her attention to Trance. She began edging her way over to the bed where Harper lay.  
  
"I said don't come any closer." Trance said, glancing from the body before her to the gold woman. "I have to stop you, Casondra, and apparently this is the only way." The blade edged closer to Harper's heart.  
  
Casondra was frantic, this couldn't be happening, not now! She had Tyr, the rest should have been easy. Why did that bitch always have to ruin things? She tried to calm her racing heart and think rationally. She had to find a way to get the knife. She glanced furtively around the med bay for anything she could use. There were plenty of things that would be helpful but nothing within reach. "You know my true name, I was wondering how much that blithering idiot would be able to reveal before he finally met his maker." Trance's grip tightened on the knife, it inched closer to its target. Casondra cursed softly, she had obviously taken the wrong approach, she changed tactics, her hands raised in a non-threatening manner. "Well, if you know who I really am, then he must have told you the truth about my mother."   
  
Trance glanced quickly again at Casondra, her eyes immediately returning to Harper. She licked her dry, cracked lips and whispered. "He told me what you did to her."   
  
Squeezing a few tears from her eyes and pouring as much emotion into her voice as she could, Casondra took a step toward Trance, "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," she sniffed dramatically and took another step. "I had no choice, the Spirit had control over me, I tried to fight but he was too strong." Another step, "I was powerless to defy his order, even when he commanded that I kill my own mother." Her shoulders shuddered as she wept openly, all the while creeping closer to the bed. Trance wasn't looking at her, she appeared lost in thought. Casondra kept up the distraction. "You don't know how horrible it was, watching my own hand do the deed, my mind screaming for it to stop." She was nearly in range, just a few more feet. "Please Trance...Mother..." Trance flinched at the word, her reaction causing Casondra to smile darkly. "I need you to understand, it wasn't my choice, I would have done anything to prevent it but I couldn't control my own actions."   
  
Casondra slowed her advance as Trance's tired, pain-filled eyes met hers. Tears rolled freely down the purple woman's face, "You're wrong there Casondra, we always have a choice." Casondra started to protest but stopped her mouth half open as she noticed a change taking place on Trance's face. The purple woman's eyes lit with a fiery hatred, her lips pulled back from her teeth in a wicked snarl. When she spoke, her voice had all the power of the elders and all the wrath of the heavens. "This charade ends here, Casondra." Trance spat the name as if it were poison. "You're crocodile tears may have tricked your mother but I, fortunately, am not hindered by such weakness. Thanks entirely to you. You robbed me of all emotion when you stole my friends and my family just as surely as you stole your parents' lives. I hope you rot in hell." Casondra stood frozen to the spot as Trance raised the knife high above her head and plunged it down into Harper's chest with all her might.  
  
****************  
  
TBC 


	14. Chapter 14

Well, here it is, the last chapter. Whew! Can't believe it's finally over! Kinda bittersweet, this was my first fic after all.   
  
Anyhoo, I hope you like it. I also hope that it is in keeping with the rest of the story and is an ending that lives up to your expectations. Please, let me know what you think   
  
Thanks again and giant *HUGS* to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the greatest!   
  
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Casondra staggered as if the blade had pierced her own breast. She threw herself at the bed, her hands clutching at the sheets. She stumbled to her knees, her breath catching in her throat as the covers crumpled in her lap. She blinked at what she saw. On the bed was not the corpse of her father but a clever fake, a dummy, just real enough to fool her. She sucked air into her lungs in great gulps, her mind finally registering what she saw. She leapt to her feet and whirled on Trance. She froze as the familiar whine of Tyr's weapon echoed throughout the room. Casondra turned her head slowly, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Traitor." She rasped.   
  
Tyr smiled darkly, "Madame how can I be a traitor, I swore no allegiance to you." His finger tensed on the trigger as three more weapons charged. Dylan, Beka, and Rommie took positions next to Tyr, their forcelances trained on the gold woman.  
  
"Ya kinda had me worried for a minute there Tyr." Beka said dryly.   
  
Tyr allowed a slight smirk, "Did I now?"  
  
"Uh, yeah! I thought you were gonna ruin everything." Beka blew a strand of hair out of her eyes and chanced a glance at Tyr. "Did anyone ever tell you you'd make a good actor?"   
  
Dylan ignored the banter going on next to him and took a step toward Casondra. "I know who you are and I know what you came for. I also know what you have done, the people you have killed. I am officially placing you under arrest, you will be held in my custody until a proper tribunal can be convened."   
  
Casondra, having regained her composure sneered at Dylan, her expression as black as midnight, "Go ahead and try, Hunt. My master will never allow it; he'll set me free. I will find the remaining piece of the engine and I will use it to destroy you and your precious ship."   
  
"I highly doubt that." Dylan said. He motioned for Tyr to restrain Casondra. "We defeated your, what did you call him, your *master* before, we can do it again."   
  
Casondra backed up as Tyr approached, her legs hitting the bed. Out of the corner of her eye she spied her Katanna blade still buried hilt-deep in the dummy. She slumped her shoulders and hung her head in mock defeat. She willingly held out her arms for the restraints Tyr had scooped off a nearby bed. As soon as Tyr was close enough Casondra snapped into action. She grabbed the Nietzschean's free hand, snapping it like a twig while at the same time kicking the gun from his grasp. In one fluid motion she flipped up over the bed. Snatching the knife in mid-flight she landed gracefully behind Trance. Before anyone could react, Casondra had her blade to Trance's throat. "Weapons down or she dies." she panted.   
  
Enraged and cradling his wounded arm, Tyr charged at Casondra who promptly pressed the knife harder to Trance's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "Tyr stop!" Dylan commanded. The Nietzschean slowed, trembling with barely contained fury. "Drop your weapons people." Three forcelances clattered to the deck.  
  
"Dylan no," Trance squeaked. "Destroy her now while you have the chance!"  
  
"Trance, you are still a member of this crew, I'll not risk your life." Dylan said with all the conviction he could muster. Tyr stopped his slow advance and withdrew but not before throwing his commanding officer a smoldering glare.  
  
"Wonderful sentiment Captain, I always knew you were too weak minded to get the job done." Casondra readjusted her grip on the Katanna. "Now kick those lances over here." Beka and Rommie hesitated but grudgingly complied at Dylan's nod. Casondra kicked two of them under the bed. She slid her foot under the remaining forcelance and deftly bounced it up to her free hand. Trance winced as the blade was removed from her throat. Her respite was short lived as she felt the forcelance press painfully against her temple.   
  
Casondra studied the blade thoughtfully, "I still need two of you alive, but which two. Hmmm...decisions, decisions." She lined the knife up with each crew member, "Eenie meenie miney...MOE!" She yelled as she let the blade fly. It hit Rommie square in the chest, instantly severing her power supply. Sparks flew as the Android fell, her expression frozen in that of surprise.   
  
Trance screamed and lunged for Rommie but was brought up short by the gun at her head. Casondra grabbed the purple woman's throat with her bare hand and whispered in her ear, "Now watch while I take care of your darling Captain." She aimed the forcelance at Dylan, her finger inching toward the trigger.  
  
Dylan closed his eyes as he braced himself for death. He heard the gun go off and waited for the impact, and waited. He cracked his eyes open in time to see the forcelance fall from Casondra's limp hand. Her eyes widened, she opened her mouth, but no words came as she fell to her knees. Her expression changed to puzzlement as she looked down at the blood flowing from her chest. She turned her head, realization dawning across her pale features. Behind her, gauss gun still smoking, stood Harper. Casondra uttered a weak "No." as she pitched forward into darkness.  
  
Everyone stared slack-jawed at the young engineer. "So, does someone wanna tell me why I just shot Trance?" Harper said, grabbing his stomach and sliding down the doorframe to the floor. Suddenly the room snapped into a flurry of activity. Trance ran over to Harper. Tyr grabbed his gun and guarded Casondra while Beka put her in restraints. Casondra had no life signs but they knew not to put too much stock in that fact.   
  
Dylan slowly approached Rommie. Andromeda's hologram appeared before him, he looked at her expectantly. "The damage is repairable. My avatar will survive." The AI said with a trace of relief. Dylan picked Rommie up and gently placed her on a nearby bed. He turned to see Trance helping Harper up onto his own bed.  
  
"Good work Mr. Harper."   
  
"Huh?" Harper said, wincing as he lay back. "Good work for what?" He watched as Beka and Tyr lifted Casondra up onto the next bed. "Oh," He said softly. "Is she gonna be ok? What the hell happened in here?"   
  
Trance sighed and injected Harper with a painkiller. "You just rest, I'll tell you everything when you're better." Harper opened his mouth to protest but his eyelids started drooping. He was forced to just lay back and watch as purple Trance tended the wounded gold woman. He fell asleep wondering who she really was.  
  
Beka Tyr and Dylan crowded around Trance as she checked over Casondra. Beka and Tyr each had a forcelance aimed at the gold woman, ready to fire if she so much as batted an eyelash. "Well?" Dylan said, studying test results over Trance's shoulder.  
  
"She's not dead." Trance said dully.   
  
"I can fix that." Tyr said, aiming his forcelance at Casondra's head.  
  
Dylan placed his hand on the weapon and slowly shook his head. "You know we can't kill her in cold blood, it's not what we're about."   
  
Tyr raised one eyebrow cynically. "Then what do you suggest?"  
  
"I honestly don't know." Dylan sighed, running his hands down his face. "Trance, how long until she, ah...wakes up?"   
  
Trance chewed her lip thoughtfully, "Could be anytime, since she's half human, I'm not sure what to expect."  
  
Beka raised her hand, "Um, excuse me? Half human? Can I get the *whole* story now please?"  
  
Dylan held up his finger for Beka to wait, to Trance he said, "Can you keep her sedated? I mean, *heavily* sedated? I don't want to chance a repeat of our latest fiasco."  
  
"Yes, I can make sure that she won't wake up until we want her to." Trance lowered her head, utterly exhausted.   
  
"Good." Beka opened her mouth to demand and explanation but again Dylan cut her off. "It's a *very* long story and I'm sure Trance would like to tell it only one more time so I suggest we wait a few hours until everyone is ready."   
  
Beka looked over at Rommie and Harper lying on the hospital beds. She nodded her weary head and pulled up a chair.   
  
Tyr nodded his understanding also. He remained standing until Trance had administered the sedatives to Casondra and he sat only long enough for Trance to tend his injured arm.  
  
***********************  
  
Eight hours later Harper was sitting on the edge of his bed painstakingly repairing the mess Casondra's knife had made of Rommie's chest. It was taking longer than it should have because he kept having to stop and rest. His incision burned and his stomach muscles ached but he refused let Rommie lay inoperative while he finished recuperating. He wiped beads of sweat from his brow as he soldered the last two wires together. Rommie's android body gave a shudder and her eyelids fluttered. "Come on darlin'." Harper whispered. Slowly the avatar's eyes opened, her gaze was slightly unfocused. She blinked several times as all her programs came on-line. Rommie sat bolt upright her head snapping left and right as she searched for danger. "Easy Rom-doll, it's over." Harper soothed.   
  
"Harper, where's Dylan, is he ok?" Rommie moved to get off the bed, suddenly frantic.  
  
Harper sighed heavily, "Dylan's fine Rommie, sit back down so I can finish the superficial repairs." Rommie studied him carefully then sat rigidly on the edge of Harper's bed.  
  
She watched Harper work and marveled at how steady his hands were while the rest of his body trembled with exhaustion. "What happened?"   
  
"I think we're about to find out." Harper closed the access panel in Rommie's chest and began mending her torn 'flesh'. "You should be able to connect with the main AI now, I'm sure she'll be able to fill you in rather quickly."   
  
Rommie closed her eyes and reached out for the familiar feeling of her sisters. She immediately located her captain and confirmed that he was indeed all right. "Dylan..." She whispered unconsciously.  
  
Harper set his tools down on the tray by his bed, a little harder than he had intended. He felt like crap, he just finished expending all his energy and then some getting her up and running, from his hospital bed no less, and all she could think about was Captain Terrific. A deep sadness filled Harper's eyes as he watched a smile spread across Rommie's perfect lips. He knew he would never be able to make her smile like that and it tore at his heart. He was startled when Rommie suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him curiously. He quickly pasted on what he hoped was his most winning smile. "Well, you can tell Dylan that we're all finished so he can assemble the troops. I for one can't wait to hear what the hell has been going on." Harper lay back, pushing all thoughts of Rommie from his mind, a task he had yet to entirely master. He yawned sleepily and found himself hoping he would be able to keep his eyes open through Trance's story.  
  
********************  
  
As it turned out, Harper had no trouble at all staying awake. In fact, he had to remind himself to blink as he listened to Trance's fantastic tale. He stopped her several times with a myriad of questions and when she was finally finished the room was silent, everyone lost in his or her own thoughts.  
  
Harper found himself staring at the inert form of his daughter. Well, his future self's daughter, he didn't know for sure what she was to him. It was all a little too much to take. He shook his head in awe of the set of circumstances that had led them to this point. "Kylie." He whispered. It was a Gaelic name, it meant lovely. Well, she certainly wasn't lovely when she was trying to kill his shipmates one by one. Harper's eyes hardened at the thought. No, that isn't Kylie, that thing is Casondra.   
  
"Harper? You ok over there?" Beka said. She was concerned for her friend, he had been through a lot in the past couple of days, and she wasn't sure how well he was handling it.  
  
Harper waved a dismissing hand, "Yeah, boss, I'm good, I was just thinking. The name Casondra means 'not to be believed' in ancient Greek. Huh, fitting." Harper picked at a loose thread on his blanket. "That's who she is now, isn't it?"  
  
Trance nodded her head sadly. She didn't trust her voice to speak. She'd managed not to cry during her recitation of the events of the future but now, looking into Harper's troubled countenance, she was afraid the floodgates would open again. She glanced around the room gauging the others' reactions. She studied Tyr closely. She had purposely kept secret the fact that he had a son. She wasn't sure yet how knowledge of Tamerlane's existence would affect him. She certainly didn't want to blurt out such sensitive information in front of the entire crew. Dylan knew and so did Andromeda but Trance's instincts told her that they would let her handle it. She would know when the time was right and this time she would trust herself to make the right decision.  
  
"What do we do now?" Tyr asked, ready to get down to the practical side of this meeting.   
  
"I've been thinking about that a lot," Dylan said, leaning back in his chair and tenting his fingers thoughtfully. "I'm not sure she is mentally able to stand trial."   
  
"What?" Beka demanded, "What the hell are we going to do with her? We can't keep her here!"  
  
"I know, I'm open to suggestions." Dylan was, for once, without a plan.  
  
"Uh, we could put her in stasis, ya know, till we find a cure?" Harper suggested.  
  
Tyr scoffed, "She doesn't have a disease, her belly isn't filled with Magog eggs, she can't be cured. I say we execute her."   
Trance started to object but Dylan beat her too it. "Tyr, for the last time, we are *not* going to kill her. We can't cure her and we sure as hell can't keep her sedated forever. Rommie, have you come up with anything?"  
  
"No, all simulations so far have met with 100% rate of failure."  
  
"There may be a way." Trance said so softly that had Tyr not been in the room it might have gone unnoticed.  
  
"What way is that?" Tyr said, annoyed at the girl, but also frustrated with the situation.  
  
"Trance, you have an idea?" Rommie prompted.  
  
"Yes, but I need to get Casondra to Sinti for extensive preparation. She then must be taken to my home world where she will have to go many months of, ah...'reprogramming'."  
  
Harper stared at Trance dumfounded, "You mean she *can* be cured?"  
  
"I...it's possible. There are many obstacles to overcome and she may not survive. The probabilities of success are very low." Trance lowered her head, unable to bear the spark of hope she ignited in Harper's eyes.   
  
"Well," Dylan said, "Any chance is better than none at all. We can stop at Sinti on the way to Shintaido."  
  
"Shintaido? You're kidding right? I mean, isn't that where Tyr...ah, ya know?"   
  
"Yes, Harper but it is also where we will find the last piece of the Engine of Creation. Since Casondra failed, the Spirit of the Abyss is certain to send others in search of it. We must find it first and keep it safe on the Andromeda."  
  
"Ah, hello? Wouldn't that be like painting a neon target on our ass?" Beka said as she rose to her feet and paced behind her chair deep in thought. She stopped suddenly and whirled on Dylan. "What about the Worldship? What about the Commonwealth? I mean, we're just gonna drop everything, find this piece of the Engine and then what, Dylan? Wait for ol' tall dark and glowing to come knocking on our door?"  
  
Dylan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm not sayin' we abandon our mission, we just need to prioritize, take things one step at a time."  
  
"We're the future's only hope." Trance whispered.   
  
************************  
  
Hours later the plans were set and a course laid for Sinti. Harper and Trance were alone in med bay and were talking softly as if worried they would wake the girl sleeping in the next bed.  
  
"I can't believe it." Harper whispered.  
  
"I know, what a disaster." Trance whispered back.  
  
"No, I can't believe the future me finally got up the courage to ask you out." Harper grinned mischievously.  
  
"Harper." Trance smiled and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. They shared a moment of comfortable silence.   
  
"Do you think it'll work?" Harper asked suddenly.  
  
"You mean do I think Casondra can ever be Kylie again? I'm not sure but I'm going to give it my best shot. She didn't deserve what happened to her and although she has done horrible things they weren't entirely her fault."  
  
"If I ever get my hands on that...that..." Harper snarled as he punched the bed.  
  
"I know, me too." Trance said taking his fist and uncurling it tenderly. "For now lets just concentrate on getting Casondra better."  
  
Harper nodded his head, staring at the purple hand that held his. He cocked his head, noticing something different. His eyes traveled to Trance's face. It was there too. "Trance, you look...purpler."  
  
"Harper, I don't think that's even a word." Trance scolded.  
  
"No, I mean it, there's something different in your eyes and I swear your skin is, I don't know, glowing."  
  
Trance smiled impishly, "You're just seeing things."  
  
"Aw, Trance, come on, don't start that secret crap again, we've come way past that, tell me, please?" A familiar whine entered his voice.  
  
Trance kissed his forehead softly and whispered, "Hope is a powerful thing, I finally found mine and I promise I'll never loose it again."   
  
**********************  
  
THE END 


End file.
